JS body blames negligence, inaction of govt authorities
Utter negligence and lack of measures, including the absence of a wing, division or arrangement of the primary and mass education ministry or its directorate to deal with relevant issues and laws, led to quarters and individuals for years illegally occupying and grabbing partially or completely land of the capital's government primary schools.
The sub-committee 3 of the ministry's parliamentary standing committee made the observation after starting to visit schools, five yesterday, aiming to recover the land.
“Everyone seemed to be negligent about the issue. The headmasters and school managing committees did not feel the importance of updating papers or record the lands properly,” the sub-committee convenor, AKM Jahangir Hossain, told The Daily Star.
On September 22, the District Primary Education Office of Dhaka submitted a report to the ministry mentioning that lands of 54 schools were occupied illegally. The report was then published in the media.
Yesterday the sub-committee visited Gabtoli Government Primary School, Pallabi Government Primary School, Bonoful Government Primary School, Abdul Mannan Government Primary School and Khalilur Rahman Government Primary School.
Jahangir said they found many high schools which had taken temporary permission to start academic activities on primary schools' compounds grabbing classrooms and lands while on some kitchen markets, shops and slums grew up.
“We will recommend setting up such a (land related) division...(and) a hardline stance on evicting influential individuals occupying the lands,” he said.
They would also suggest providing legal assistance to schools facing complexities and demarcating through a government surveyor lands occupied by high schools, he said.
Jahangir said their visits would continue and, once complete, they would submit a report to the standing committee as soon as possible.
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