ISLAMABAD:The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) to complete all under construction projects by June 2022.
A three-member SC bench comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed heard the suo moto notice case regarding dilapidated condition of Government Schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
During the course of proceedings, the directed the KP government to submit a progress report over pertaining to details of students and teachers in the schools.
The bench expressed annoyance over Chairman ERAA and remarked that if his own children were out of school then he would work.
He observed that authority’s officers were only receiving salaries and benefits.
The Chairman ERRA apprised the bench that out of 14000 projects only 3000 projects were pending. He said that education and health were their top priorities.
The Chief Justice asked what were the remaining projects. The Chairman replied that education and health projects were yet to be completed.
Upon this, the Chief Justice said that if education and health were their priority these projects would have been completed. The earthquake-affected areas should have been rehabilitated within a yea, he added.
He said that the pictures of schools submitted before the bench looked non functional.
Justice Qazi Amin said that the negligence of governments had turned education into an industry. Earlier the college fee was Rs. 8 but now it was Rs. 30,000 for a small child, he added.
He said that it was responsibility of the state to provide free education. The KP government should not try to hide behind the ERRA.
The Advocate General KP said that 238 out of 540 schools so far had been completed.
Later, hearing of the case was adjourned for one month.