At least 292 primary, middle and high government schools are under illegal occupation in various areas of 36 districts of Punjab province due to which thousands of children are unable to continue their education.
Sources in the Education Department said that 682 schools were illegally occupied by influential mafia and the Supreme Court taking notice of the matter had directed the department in August 2013 to vacate the educational institutions. Due to lack of interest and poor coordination between government departments, local authorities at district level failed to achieve the target and only 390 out of 682 schools had been vacated so far, sources maintained.
The matters of illegal occupancy of as many as 123 other educational institutions are also under trial in various courts of the province. The estimated market value of buildings and land of the occupied schools is hundreds of millions of rupees.
The district wise number of illegally occupied schools is: Gujranwala 36, Lahore,17, Bhakkar 17, Bahawalpur 9, Khanewal 6, Vehari 7, Lodhran 4, Multan 9, Sargodha 7,Mianwali 7,Khushab 5, Bahawalnagar 3, Rahimyar Khan 9, Rawalpindi 25, Attock 16, Sheikhupura 17, Kasur 10, Nankana Sahib 6, Jehlum 7, Chakwal 18, DG Khan 4, Layyah 5, Rajanpur 2, Okara 8, Sahiwal 2, Pakpattan 2, Toba Tek Singh 7, Faisalabad 13, Mandi Baha ud Din 5, Hafizabad 1,Norowal 3 and Sialkot 5.
No school in Gujrat, Chiniot, Jhang and Muzaffargardh districts is occupied.
Director Monitoring and Evaluation Schools Punjab Rana Abdul Qayyum commenting on the matter stated that as many as 198 schools were under illegal occupancy and efforts were on to get them vacated from land grabbers. He said the government was committed to restoring educational activities in the schools and a zero tolerance policy would be adopted against illegal occupants. All DCOs have been directed to initiate stern action in this regard, he maintained.
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