Srinagar, February 18 (KNO) : AIP President Er Rasheed Monday appealed regional political parties to assure and include in their manifesto that they will ensure opening of new professional and technical colleges in the state in private sector and will make the legal procedure for the same easier.
In a statement issued to KNO, Er Rasheed said, “While state already lacks good professional colleges and institutions, but the ongoing assault and harassment against Kashmiri students in other states has created more need for establishing such institutions in public and private sector.”
He said many local investors have been trying hard to get permission from the competent authority to establish various much needed colleges in Kashmir valley but unfortunately bureaucracy has been creating barriers and thus not allowing education sector to flourish beyond a certain point.
“It is high time for all those regional political parties who are in the race of power to make sincere and concrete promises that they will not only allow investment in the education sector without creating hurdles but will also create a huge network of professional and technical colleges in every district and region of the state,” he said.
Er Rasheed said that whatsoever Kashmiris are facing in rest of the states should act as a wakeup call and while large number of students will prefer to leave their education half way, rather studying outside J&K, parents will also be facing physiological and real worries in sending their children outside Kashmir.
“However we cannot deprive our generation from getting best possible education in an era of huge competition and advanced technology. It is also known to all that getting passport too has become an uphill task for the youth and studying outside Kashmir has become an issue, there is no way out but to set up best class educational institutions in the state itself,” he said.
“Prominent investors should prefer to invest in education sector. It can really be a huge contribution towards the society. However unless main political parties including NC and PDP do not promise to make the process of establishing these institutions time bound and easy by making necessary amendments in the laws, the aim cannot be achieved,” he added.
AIP president welcomed actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan’s statement, asking New Delhi to revisit its policies and resolve Kashmir dispute by holding plebiscite, so that peace returns in the entire sub-continent. “It is good to see credible voices speaking sense and understanding the significance of finding peaceful resolutions rather indulging in spreading venom against each other,” he said.(KNO)