Principal's residence at lab!

The 'drawing lab' of Panchagarh Government Technical School and College is being unofficially used as the principal's residence for nearly three years, much to the disturbance of classes.

Principal Syed Abdul Aziz started residing there since July 2014, after building three rooms and two toilets with government allocation for building renovation, college sources said. 

During a recent visit, this correspondent saw a portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and another of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore kept on the floor of the principal's office.  

Asked why the portraits of the two great men were kept on the floor, he evaded the question.   

After joining the college in 2010, the principal lived in a room of the second floor of the college administrative building and in July 2014 he started living at Surovi Bhaban, which was meant for drawing lab for science students, said several teachers and employees seeking anonymity.

Although he has been living in the college rooms for about seven years, every month he submits a declaration  saying that he does not live in government quarters, thus evading payment of 30 percent of his basic salary as house rent to the government.  

The principal also spent over Tk 1 lakh from the allocated money for renovation  and buying furniture for his personal use at his residence. 

Several students said they have to attend drawing classes at different rooms, depending on vacancy.  

Contacted over cell phone, Principal Syed Abdul Aziz refuted the allegations against him and claimed that Surovi Bhaban is serving as 'Career Guidance and Employment Centre' since the last quarter of 2015.

When asked why he continued staying there afterwards, he failed to give any satisfactory answer.  

Several teachers and employees said the question of functioning of the centre at Surovi Bhaban does not arise at all as the principal is residing there. This correspondent himself saw nothing other than residential arrangement at the house.

Directorate of Technical Education Director General Ashok Kumar Biswas told this correspondent over cell phone that he will take steps after investigating  the matter.   

There are 736 regular students and 360 trainees in three trades under the college established in 1999 near Talma Bridge, three kilometres from Panchagarh town.