Srinagar, June 20: The newly opened degree colleges of Beerwah, Pattan and Budgam are in complete shambles. 
 The students of these colleges, which were established along with other educational institutions across the Valley by the People’s Democratic Party-Congress coalition in 2005, have accused the Government of playing with their careers by failing to provide facilities to them and upgrading the infrastructure.
 “With students suffering due to lack of infrastructure, staff and other allied facilities, the mere opening of these colleges hasn’t served any purpose,” the educationists said, adding the Government’s claim about prioritization of Higher Education had proven a ‘mere hoax.’ 
 “These colleges, which are imparting teaching in streams of Science, Commerce and Arts, have admitted more than 1000 students,” sources said, adding due to inadequate teaching staff, the studies of students were adversely affected.
 The work in Budgam college, sources said, was adversely affected due to lack of non-teaching staff. “The Botany, Chemistry, Physics, Zoology and Computer Laboratory is supervised by a lone assistant along with two bearers. There is only one junior assistant in the college handling the entire clerical work,” sources revealed.
 “The physics laboratory doesn’t have wooden stands for experiments. Similar in chemistry laboratory, there is no place for instruments,” said an insider adding “there is no faculty for Urdu subject.”
 Likewise, the functioning of Pattan College was also suffering due to shortage of non-teaching staff.
 Sources said these colleges, which were operating from tin sheds, were shifted to buildings, constructed in their respective areas in 2010. The officials, sources said, had pointed out many technical defects in these college buildings, which were constructed by National Building Construction Corporation Limited.
 “No space has been earmarked for library in these colleges, which is a must for institutions imparting higher education. As a makeshift arrangement, computer laboratory has been transformed into the library,” said an official.
 The official disclosed that the size of classrooms were not in accordance with University Grants Commission norms. “As per UGC norms, a classroom should accommodate around 80 students. However, it becomes quite difficult for 56 students to get adjusted in classrooms of these colleges,” sources said.
 They said huge amount of money was spent on whitewashing of walls, which had gone waste as they have ‘developed moisture.’  
 “It appears that the buildings haven’t been constructed keeping in view the climatic conditions of Valley. During winters snow gets accumulated inside the buildings due to faulty architecture, causing immense trouble to the students,” said a teacher wishing anonymity adding “the buildings have not been handed over to the college authorities by NBCC as of now.”
 Despite college vehicle, the students have to avail public transport. “The buses have been grounded due to lack of drivers,” sources said.
 Commissioner Secretary Higher Education, Tanveer Jehan passed the buck on college principals saying “the principals can arrange drivers on local funds. They should be able to take lead as administrators.”
 “There have been complaints by principals regarding designing of college buildings. Now we have set up a Committee comprising principals and architects to frame the designs according to requite pattern,” Tanveer told Greater Kashmir.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 IST