Anantnag, August 23: Amid growing public concern and confusion over the status of schools run by the Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT), Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo has clarified that the government has not taken over the management of these institutions.
Addressing an emergency press conference at Dak Bungalow Khanabal in Anantnag, Itoo emphasized that the recent move to place nearby higher secondary school principals in charge of FAT-run schools is a temporary administrative arrangement aimed at safeguarding the education of more than 51,000 students.
“The management tenure of these schools has expired, putting the academic future of 51,363 students at risk. To protect these students, we decided to appoint principals of the nearest government higher secondary schools as in-charge for a period of three months,” Itoo said.
She also objected to a government order which stated that Deputy Commissioners (DCs) would take over these institutions. “That’s completely incorrect. The Secretary of the School Education Department mistakenly mentioned DCs in the order, which is factually wrong,” she said.
Reiterating her stand, Itoo said there is no government takeover of FAT schools and the arrangement is purely temporary until a new management committee is constituted by the trust or concerned authorities.
In response to a question, Itoo launched a scathing attack on PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, accusing her party of contributing to Jammu and Kashmir’s decline. “If she never spoke about these schools before, why is she suddenly concerned when we’ve taken steps to secure the future of their students? The PDP has never worked in the interest of Jammu and Kashmir. In fact, they are responsible for the abrogation of the special status,” Itoo alleged.
It is worth mentioning that Falah-e-Aam Trust, believed to be linked to the now-banned Jamaat-e-Islami, runs hundreds of private schools across Jammu and Kashmir. The fate of these institutions has been under scrutiny since Jamaat-e-Islami was banned in 2019.
