The Ministry of Education has withdrawn two school projects in the Eastern province city of Qatif from a local contractor who failed to implement them on time.
One of the projects was Bin Al-Arqam Secondary School in Darin and the other in Al-Shati neighborhood on Tarut Island.
The delay in implementing the project lasted more than six years, which confirmed the negligence of the contractor that caused the projects to falter, according to Al-Yaum newspaper.
The official spokesman of the Ministry of Education in the Eastern Province, Saeed Al-Bahas, said, “The department has taken the all actions necessary and directed the officials to withdraw the two projects from the contractor.”
He said a committee was assigned to follow up with the implementation of the projects.
“The administration withdrew the two projects from the contractor because he failed to complete them on schedule,” Al-Bahas said.
He said the Al-Shati project, which was 81 percent complete, had to be completed as soon as possible.
Residents of Al-Shati on Tarut and Al-Andalus in Darin have condemned the unjustified delay in completing the two buildings for six years. They said that the construction of Al-Shati school was not completed while the Ibn Al-Arqam School project in Darin was left in a bad shape because it was neither completed nor any maintenance was done there in six years.
Abbas Al-Abyad, a citizen, called on the ministry to find a solution for the obstacles of the delayed educational project in Al-Shati at a time when the ministry is seeking to replace all rented school buildings with purpose-built ones.
Another issue encountered was pointed out by
Ja’far Al-Eid pointed to another issue. “The school building in Al-Shati has become a shelter for stray dogs and illegal expats. It has become a garbage dump and place for vandalism. Some of the land was stolen during the period,” Al-Eid said.
“Our sons and daughters have been deprived of the opportunity to study in a suitable educational building,” he added.
Al-Eid called on the Ministry of Education to follow up with the case, asking officials to speed up the process and develop urgent solutions to the outstanding problems.
Salman Muhammad, another citizen, called for the immediate completion and opening of the school building in Al-Shati because the residents need it badly.
He pointed out that the contractor had shattered the dreams and wishes of the residents to have a suitable school building for their children.
Fathi Al-Binali said, “The construction of the project has been delayed for too long and we do not know if it will be completed or not. Our children are facing a tough time in the rented school building, which is in bad shape and is in need of urgent maintenance. We need suitable schools that will encourage our children to complete their education.”
SOURCE : SAUDIGAZETTE
