Lack of buses: Booni female college students remind CM of his promise

ZAIT, (CHITRAL), Sept 20: A few years back, Chief Minister Khyber Pokhtunkhawa Ameer Haider Khan Hoti visited Booni in upper Chitral and announced a number of buses for the Government College for Women and also for some private educational institutions.

However, despite the passage of years, only one bus could be arranged for the women college to cater to its large number of students coming from far-off villages. About 1,500 students are currently enrolled in the institution.

Due to dearth of buses, a majority of the students from Charun and Kuragh are compelled to using the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School Kuragh’s bus and many students from Booni, Awi etc.,  have to come to the college on foot. In addition, some of the students belonging to Moreder have managed a private vehicle because of inadequate transportation and their parents have to bear the extra burden of paying the fare for their private transportation.

About more than 100 students belonging to Greenlasht, Reshun, Showgram and Zait are traveling in the small college bus which is totally hazardous and remains crammed all the time. Even the stairs of the bus are filled with students all the time. Who will be accountable if something happens with the overloaded bus while commuting to and from the college on the road that is also very bumpy? 

Nowadays students from Greenlasht to Zait are facing troubles in reaching their college due to poor transportation. The college bus had been sent to Chitral for repair and it is obvious that it becomes out of order day in and day out.

Students from Reshun and Green Lasht are being dropped near Showgram Bridge due to the poor condition of the bus as it cannot pass the bumpy road opposite Showgram with such a heavy load and the students are forced to  travel by foot for about five to seven kilometers after that. It is difficult to travel on foot for female students on such a long journey.

A student said same facilities should also be provided to them as those available to the students Government Degree College for Women Chitral. One of the students said it would have been better had the chief minister provided the urgently needed facilities to the women college instead of sanctioning buses to the private educational institutions in the area.

Such trend should be discourages and we need to think about the whole masses and strengthen our pubic institutions. The students appealed to the authorities concerned to provide buses and other amenities to the students of Government College for Women Booni so that they can continue their education with peace of mind.