Tahir Mushtaq
Early Times Report
RAMBAN, Dec 21: Contradictory to the tall claims of state government, Degree College (GDC) Ramban faces step-motherly atreatment from the higher education department, putting the future of hundreds of students at stake. The college was sanctioned during the PDP-Congress coalition government and was founded on July 14, 2005, but no formal inauguration was done and the stone is still intact since September 12, 2013.
The college building and the road was constructed at a cost of Rs.9.20 and 1.60 crore respectively. Out of 44 Kanal of 'donated' land 20 kanal of land is still disputed in the court thus leaving the construction of boundary wall and other structures incomplete.
The concerned department has sanctioned 23 posts including one Principal, Assistant Professors, one post of Librarian and one of Physical instructor, but the posts are still lying vacant as there are only 3 permanent staff members whereas 19 others are on contract for around 700 students of different streams.
Moreover the college also lacks the basic facilities of drinking water supply and even some part of college is without electricity.
A staff member on the condition of anonymity said it is "very difficult for us" to perform our duties without proper infrastructure.
"The college has only one bus service which is insufficient to take the heavy rush of students besides this there is no play ground, not to talk about the sports kits and the National Cadet Corps (NCC) unit is also not functional," said Sony Katoch, a student of BA II.
"We don't have lecturers for Mathematics, Environmental Science and History due to which we are facing difficulties to complete our syllabus besides this the college library doesn't have useful books" she added.
Talking to Early Times Principal of the college Dr Yudhveer Singh said, "I have been regularly bringing these problems into the notice of the concerned higher authorities, but nothing has been done so far."
"No one is willing to join in the rural area due to one reason or the others but somehow the authorities have appointed 19 contractual staff, however it is not for long period" he added.
