Srinagar, Mar 28: The residents of Bani in Kathua district have urged the government to establish a paramedical institute, highlighting the lack of educational opportunities for students from underprivileged and middle-class backgrounds who aspire to build a career in the paramedical field.
The area is grappling with a severe lack of educational and healthcare facilities. The students are compelled to travel to Kathua, Jammu, Bhaderwah, and other cities, putting an unbearable financial burden on their families.
Mudasar Ali, a resident of Bani said the 154-kilometer-long journey from Bani to Kathua, coupled with accommodation issues and additional educational expenses, becomes insurmountable for poor parents, forcing many talented students to abandon their dreams.
“This challenge is even more critical for female students, as most parents hesitate to send their daughters to distant cities for education,” the resident said.
Locals said if a government paramedical institute is established in Bani, local students will gain access to quality education within their own region and enable them to serve their community with better medical services in the future.
The residents of the far flung area have urged the government especially Health and medical Education Department to address this long-standing issue without further delay.
“Our youth aspire to enter the medical field, but due to the absence of fundamental facilities, they either have to discontinue their education or endure extreme hardships to study in other cities,” Mudasar said.
The locals stated that establishing a government paramedical institute in Bani would benefit thousands of students, enabling them to pursue careers in healthcare and ultimately improving the region’s medical standards.
He said with a population exceeding 60,000 in Tehsil Bani and nearly 89,000 in the entire constituency, the lack of a paramedical institute is casing immense problems for students.
“The government must take this issue seriously and ensure that the people of Bani receive their rightful access to education,” he said.
They appealed to the Minister of Health, Lieutenant Governor, Union Minister, and the local MLA to sanction the establishment of a government paramedical institute in Bani.
