Critical education development projects remain stalled as the year nears its end due to severe economic constraints in the Rawalpindi district.
The Rawalpindi College Directorate had proposed 14 projects worth Rs2.36 billion to address persistent admission issues and enhance facilities in government colleges.
These projects included upgrading laboratories and libraries, establishing four new colleges, completing the long-delayed Postgraduate Girls College in Dhok Dalal, constructing new buildings for two colleges, and adding halls, auditoriums, and computer labs to eight existing institutions.
However, the economic crisis has kept these plans in limbo, delaying progress by over a year and inflating the total cost by Rs 1 billion.
The Postgraduate Girls College in Dhok Dalal, a four-storey structure nearing completion, has remained abandoned for three years due to halted construction, despite millions already spent. Similarly, the proposal to build four new colleges in Kauntrila (Gujar Khan), Rakh Sarkar (Rawalpindi), Karor (Kotli Sattian), and Murree, initially estimated at Rs900 million, has been deferred.
The delay has raised the projected cost to Rs1.1 billion, driven by soaring material prices.
Plans to construct new buildings for colleges in Chakri and Tehsil Kahuta also face a similar fate.
The original allocation of Rs280 million is now estimated to require Rs350 million, further straining resources.
Additional projects, including a multipurpose hall for Girls College Khayaban-e-Sir Syed worth Rs50 million, an academic block for Chak Beli Khan College worth Rs180 million, and a BS block in Women College Gujar Khan worth Rs150 million, remain unfunded.
Proposals for a computer lab at Women Girls College Dhoke Ratta Amral, a boundary wall for Girls College Sunny Bank Murree, and halls for colleges in Kallar Syedan and Daulatala Tehsil Gujar have also been shelved.
Not a single new college was established in Rawalpindi this year, compounding the admission crisis for students in government institutions.
The scarcity of colleges has left students with few options, as those scoring first, second, and even third divisions in matriculation often face rejection due to high merit lists.
As a result, many students, unable to secure admission to government colleges, are either forced to discontinue their education or turn to private institutions.
The growing population in the Rawalpindi division has further exacerbated the admission crisis, with the demand for educational facilities far outpacing supply.
The Professors Lecturers Association has urged authorities to prioritise the construction of at least one postgraduate college in each tehsil to alleviate the strain on the existing system.
Article published in the Express Tribune on 1st January 2025
