MINGORA, Nov 21: A primary school for girls that was inaugurated in Najigram area of Swat district about eight years ago hasn’t been made functional owing to unknown reasons.

About 300 girl students of Najigram have to cover a distance of several miles to reach their schools, situated in the adjacent areas, despite the presence of a two-room school building near their homes.

“The provincial government makes tall claims about promotion of education but it hasn’t made the school functional so far,” a resident of the area said.

The two-rooms building of government primary school for girls was inaugurated by former MPA Maulana Nizamuddin in May 7, 2004 in Najigarm. The previous government of Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) spent more than Rs8 million on construction of the school.

Najigram, a picturesque town of Barikot tehsil, has a population of about 4,500. The local people said that about 300 girl students of the area went to different schools in the adjacent areas.

Despite lapse of about eight years the building was yet to be opened for students. Even the main gate of the school was not installed during the last eight years to save the building. “The courtyard of the school has turned into a playground as children play cricket and other games there,” residents of the area said.

Owing to absence of the main gate, the building has become a rest area for stray animals including donkeys. The switchboards and tube lights have been stolen from the school.

An elder of the area, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that provincial government didn’t want to open the school as it was built by MMA government. The government didn’t want to give credit of construction of school to the former alliance of religious parties, he added.

Maulana Nizamuddin said that the school building was built on the demand of local population. He said that except the main gate, two rooms, a veranda and boundary wall of the school had been completed.

The former lawmaker said that staff, furniture and other necessary items should be provided to the school to make it functional.

He criticised local MPA Sher Shah Khan for not taking interest in making the school functional.

Eight-year-old Ruqayya told Dawn that she along with other little girls went to Natmera and some of them to government middle school Najigram that were located at a long distance from their village. Former nazim Shahi Nawab Bacha said that people of the area had approached authorities of education department but so far no action was taken in that regard. He said that people of the area had provided land for the school building but the ANP-led government didn’t take interest in making it functional. MPA Sher Shah Khan, when contacted, said that efforts were afoot to make the school functional. Soon classes would be started at the school, he said. The MPA claimed that promotion of education was top priority of the government. EDO (Female) Aisha told Dawn that she had visited the school building and report was submitted to higher authorities for its opening. EDO (Education) Gul Zaman Khan said that he was recently transferred to the district. He said that he was collecting details about the school building and he would visit it soon. He said no stone would be left unturned to open the school.