LA HORE: Various portions of 15 public schools` land have been occupied by the illegal occupants who have also got stay from the courts against the government.

The issue was raised during a meeting held at Town Hall on Tuesday to discuss various problems faced by the city schools, includingland grabbing, teachers` absenteeism and missing facilities.

The officials, privy to the meeting, told Dawn Lahore District Coordination Officer retired Captain Muhammad Usman took serious notice of the land of 15 schools occupied by the land grabbers after the executive district officer (EDO) education informed the meeting about it. The meeting was also told that the land grabbershad got stay from courts, making the city administration`s education wing unable to take action.

`The DCO ordered the EDO to pursue these cases in courts and get the stay orders vacated as soon as possible. It has also been planned to launch a cracl
He said the schools where the land grabbers had occupied portions of the land included Govt High School New Karol, Shalimar Town, Govt Girls Higher Secondary School, Minhala Kalan, Govt High School Civil Lines, Govt High School, Gowalmandi, Govt High School, Anarkali, Govt High School, Islampura, and Govt Girls High School, Sundar.

The DCO also ordered theauthorities to ensure presence of allthe teachersin schools.

`Absenteeism of teachers from schools of the metropolitan city should be curbed and no teacher should be allowed to be absent from school,` the DCO said.

He said the education department of the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) must improve its performance, asking the EDO education to personally visit the 15 schools whose land had been occupied besides making efforts to get courts` stay orders vacated. He also sought a detailed report on funds` utilisation on educational institutions of Lahore. He further directed the EDO to enhance enrolment by 100pc in 28 schools where low enrolment had been reported.

Meanwhile, presiding over another meeting the DCO directed the CDGL`s agriculture wing tolaunch a crackdown on those involved in adulteration of fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides.

GRAVEYARDS: The city administration, in a meeting, was informed five sites had been finalised for new graveyards.

According to a handout, the sites included three in Harbanspura, one each in Singhpura and Ferozewala (Sheikhupura district).

It was decided to build boundary walls of all the new sites before launching the civil work.

The DCO said since the land, identified in Ferozewala, was situated within territorial limits of Sheikhupura, he would talk to the DCO of the district for acquiring the land under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act.

Meanwhile, various price control magistrates issued orders for arrest of 34 shopkeepers for overcharging and hoarding.