ISLAMABAD: The up-gradation work of the public sector schools of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) under Phase-II of the Prime Minister’s Education Sector Reforms Programme (PMESRP) is moving on a snail’s pace due to non-release of funds, Pakistan Today has reliably learnt.
The much-need programme was initiated by the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in December 2015 to upgrade facilities in 422 schools and colleges in the federal capital, functioning under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), however, only 22 schools and colleges have been upgraded so far despite a lapse of two years. 200 schools and colleges are reportedly being upgraded in the second phase.
During a visit to various educational institutions, it was observed by this scribe that the contractors had used substandard materials in the 22 upgraded educational institutes and the practice is being continued in the second phase in the absence of an effective monitoring mechanism.
It was observed that the renovation work was left half-way in most of the schools and colleges due to non-payment of long-delayed bills and the resources were being lost to damage incurred by offhanded usage.
Pakistan Today also learnt that the during the restoration work at most of the girls’ schools, water connections were not provided due to which the staff and students were facing problems.
A principal of a girls’ school, wishing anonymity told this scribe that the contractors’ bills were not being cleared due to which they didn’t provide water connections to the washrooms in almost all educational institutions.
She lamented that the government should not have started the renovation work if it did not have sufficient funds for the project because the half-finished construction work was doing more harm than good.
“The government should release the promised funds to the contractors so as they could do the much-needed work quickly,” she demanded.
The labourers working with various contractors also complained of a lack of payment for their work.
Talking to Pakistan Today, a contractor, on the condition of anonymity, stated that due to a lack of funds released by the government the daily wagers could not be paid and some of the work had to be halted. The contractor deflected the question regarding the use of the substandard material.
In July 2017, Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) sought the release of funds for the first quarter of the fiscal year in order to the complete the ongoing projects timely.
The CADD ministry in a letter to Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms demanded the release of the total allocated funds of Rs 1,742,000 million in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2017-18 for the renovation of the physical infrastructure of 200 education institutions during the first quarter so as to complete the work by September this year.
When contacted, PMESRP Project Director Waqas Ahmed said that the work is being carried out in the second phase, however, he did accept a delay in work due to the shortage of funds.
About the quality of the work, Waqas said that the contractors’ bills were not cleared until satisfactory examination by the project administration.
PMESRP, a brainchild of Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, had suffered a huge blow due to her departure from the PM House following the disqualification of her father Nawaz Sharif by Supreme Court in Panama case.