15 new degree colleges being established in KP, provincial assembly told

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was told on Tuesday that 15 new degree colleges were being established in the province during the financial year 2020-21.

Replying to a question asked by Inayatullah Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Higher Education Kamran Bangash informed the House that 15 new degree colleges would be established after third party validation of sites. He said the new colleges would be built on need basis.

Inayatullah complained that he was provided the information that there were 263 degree colleges in the province, including the merged districts, out of which 143 were for boys and 116 for girls. He said that he was told that 52 more colleges were under construction, but the answer was incomplete as the list of tehsils where there was no college for girls was not provided.

In his reply, Kamran Bangash said in the past education or health units were established at the constituency level without any check, but now colleges would be established after verification of site through a private party.

To a question, Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Shahram Khan Tarakai told the House that a total of 179 schools including 94 for girls, were damaged in the floods and militancy.

He added that only 15 schools could not be rebuilt while the remaining ones had been reconstructed.

The remaining schools would also be rebuilt, he added. Only five schools for girls and nine for boys are to be repaired in the next ADP, he said.

Speaker Mushtaq Ghani asked the members to ensure wearing facemasks. He maintained that the session was being telecast live and watched in the entire country so being elected public representative we should set an example for others to avoid spreading Covid-19.

Fateha was also offered for the departed soul of former inspector general of police Nasir Durrani who died of Covid-19 in Lahore.

The adjournment motion by Ahmad Kundi of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) seeking a debate on seats reserved for students from erstwhile Fata and Balochistan in medical colleges of the country was admitted for discussion.

Mir Kalam Khan, the independent member from North Waziristan, drew the attention of the House towards the miseries of militancy and military operations-hit people.

He said though some people were paid compensation for damaged houses many were still waiting to receive the payment. He added that bazaars were also destroyed but the traders were yet to be compensated.

The House unanimously adopted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Litter of Administration and Succession Certificate Bill, 2021 and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Servants (amendment) Bill, 2021 before the session was adjourned till Friday.