Kangan, Apr 6: Land Donors Association locked over a dozen government schools on Wednesday in Hariganiwan Zone of Central Kashmir’s Kangan town.

People who have donated land to the Education Department for the construction of school buildings are part of the Land Donors Association.

The Association alleged that despite donating land at different places, the donors were neither provided a job as promised nor were compensated.

Zonal Educational Officer, Hariganiwan Zone, Kangan, Muhammad Maqbool told news agency Kashmir News Trust that it is very unfortunate and will hit the students. “I am in touch with concerned people and hope the issue will be resolved amicably.

President Land Donors Association, Imtiyaz Ahmed said  that they have locked 14 Schools in Hariganiwan Zone. These include 10 Primary and 4 Middle Schools.

The locked schools are located in Syed Basti, Tangpathri, Rezupati, Mudpora Rayil, Branward Thune, Baba Mohalla Kulan, Giteh Kohd, Kachpathri, Kalaspati, Rayil Khor, Chek Basti, Herpora Surfraw, Chopan Mohalla Hariganiwan and Nallah Pati Surfraw.

Imtiyaz Ahmed said that they had been repeatedly asking the department to address the grievances of land doners. “Last time, we staged a protest at Press Enclave Srinagar. We were assured then of a positive outcome, but nothing changed. Today we were compelled to lock down the schools. We don’t need government jobs now,” he said.

Earlier, land donors had locked two schools at Rezan and Ramwari in Kangan. The doners had later thrown the gates open for the students after being promised a job in the department.

Local sources said that after the schools were locked, teachers were forced to take classes in the open.

“Covid-19 has already hit the education sector, and now this new ‘drama’ is bound to affect the studies of poor children,” said an elderly man. knt