Moalims

KARACHI: Sindh Technical Vocational Training Authority (STEVTA) has occupied the building of closed Government Girls Middle School, Shaikh Zaid Colony, Larkana, Daily Times has learnt.

Sources revealed that all the career counselling and placement centres run by STEVTA were not working up to the mark and the in-charge of the said centre instead of providing assistance to the unemployed youth has turned the training centre into a hub of spiritual treatment.

It has been learnt that STEVTA established a vocational institute four years ago in the occupied building of the girls’ school without seeking permission from the Education and Literacy Department, to provide skilled training to unemployed youth.

STEVTA established a career counselling and placement centre in 2010 at Government Commercial College Larkana city, but shifted it to a village some six km away from the main city.

Surprisingly, Education and Literacy Department deputy director and Taluka Education Officer Shamshad Solangi visited the school after a lapse of four years and found that the school is in use of STEVTA.

Solangi told Daily Times that STEVTA has illegally occupied the school building without getting NOC from the Education and Literacy Department and established a vocational institute in Madbaho village, which is an illegal and irresponsible act.

According to the deputy director, a formal permission was required for setting up any institute on other department’s building, but STEVTA failed to follow the rules and regulation. He said the closed school will be reopened in June.

However, STEVTA Regional Director Larkana Mehboob Chandio told this scribe that STEVTA had sought the permission in written from the Education Department, adding it in never occupied the building of the school.

Several attempts were made to contact Sindh Education secretary but his cell phone remained unattended.

There are hundreds of closed government schools in several parts of the province, where influential people, police and government departments have occupied the government properties.

News Reference