Kupwara, Sep 16: Residents of Qaziabad in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district have demanded a separate education zone for the area, saying the existing arrangement is causing inconvenience to teachers, students and the public.
The residents said villages in Lower Qaziabad are part of Langate Education Zone, while dozens of villages in Upper Qaziabad have been placed under Mawer Education Zone.
They said the arrangement is impractical and forces residents to travel long distances to zonal education offices for official work and to raise grievances.
“Qaziabad is a large area, but it has not been granted a separate education zone. People have to travel long distances to reach the Langate Zonal Education Office, while those falling under Qalamabad zone have to travel around 30 kilometres to get their issues addressed,” a local told Greater Kashmir.
Residents said nearly 140 government and private schools are functioning in Qaziabad, with more than 400 teachers working in them.
“I am unable to understand why we are being deprived of a separate education zone when our area meets the required criteria. We have been raising this issue for years, but nothing concrete has been done,” the local said.
The residents said they have repeatedly brought the matter to the notice of concerned officials, but no decision has been taken so far.
They have sought the intervention of Education Minister Sakina Itoo and senior officials of the School Education Department, urging them to establish a separate education zone for Qaziabad.
