Residents of Gund area of Ganderbal seek opening of degree college

Kangan, Dec 19: The residents of tehsil Gund in Kangan sub division of Ganderbal district have urged the government to establish a degree college in the area “so that the local students could complete their higher studies”.

According to the locals, the area deserves a college as the tehsil Gund comprises about two dozen villages including too far off areas in Ganderbal district. According to them the tehsil can have easy accessibility to education if the college is approved for the tehsil.

While talking to Greater Kashmir, a civil society group of the area, said that Tehsil Gund comprises a huge population and the students have to travel to far off areas to complete their undergraduate studies which becomes difficult for them. The civil society members said that every year 100 to 200 students pass their 12th class examinations from the different higher secondary schools in Gund tehsil.

“Gund is one of the major towns in Ganderbal district and majority of people in tehsil Gund belong to the labour class and cannot afford education of their children outside of the area”, said, a senior citizen and civil society group member. He said that not having a degree college in Gund tehsil is one of the reasons for it being an educationally backward area.

“Most students, particularly girls, don’t pursue their studies after 12th due to the absence of a college,” he said.

“This vast area from Sonamarg to Kangan which comes under Kangan assembly constituency has only a single degree college in Kangan and a student from Sonamarg has to travel almost 100 kilometres everyday from his home to college and back which consumes both money and time,” he added. The civil society members urged the MLA Kangan and the J&K government to ensure establishment of a degree college in the area at an earliest.