Reiterating their long-pending demand, the inhabitants of Bani have urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to take concrete steps towards the establishment of a paramedical institute in their remote hilly area of Kathua district.
They said the absence of a paramedical institute in Bani continued to create difficulties for students aspiring to pursue careers in the healthcare sector, particularly those belonging to underprivileged and middle-class families.
They point out that the students from Bani are compelled to travel to Kathua, Jammu, Doda and other cities to pursue paramedical education. The cost of transportation, accommodation and other educational expenses places a heavy financial burden on families and makes paramedical education difficult for many students.
According to locals, Bani Tehsil, with a population of around 80,000, continues to face a shortage of educational and healthcare infrastructure. “Students seeking paramedical education have to travel long distances, with the journey from Bani to Kathua taking around 6–7 hours,” they maintain.
Mudasar Ali, a local social activist from Bani, said the demand for a government paramedical institute was raised repeatedly, but the issue continued to remain unresolved.
“Approximately 160-kilometre journey from Bani to Kathua, coupled with accommodation and other educational expenses, makes it financially difficult for poor families to send their children outside the area for studies,” he said.
Mudasar said the situation was particularly challenging for female students as many parents were reluctant to send their daughters to distant cities for education.
“Many talented students are forced to abandon their dreams because they cannot afford transportation, accommodation and other expenses associated with studying in Kathua, Jammu or other cities,” he maintained.
Bani inhabitants stated that students from several villages, including Lowang, Chandal, Bharmota, Roulka, Kanthal, Dhaggar and Banjal, among others, faced similar difficulties due to the lack of professional educational facilities in the region.
“Establishing a government paramedical institute in Bani will allow students to pursue paramedical education closer to their homes and reduce the financial and logistical burden on their families,” they reiterate, adding that the availability of trained local paramedical professionals could help strengthen healthcare services in Bani and surrounding villages in the future.
They urged the government, particularly the Health and Medical Education Department, to take the long-pending demand seriously and initiate the process for establishing a government paramedical institute in Bani.
“The youth aspire to enter the paramedical field, but due to the absence of basic educational facilities, they either have to endure extreme hardships to study in other cities or discontinue their education,” they rue.
Bani inhabitants appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, the Health and Medical Education Department and MLA Bani Dr Rameshwar Singh to intervene and take concrete steps towards sanctioning a government paramedical institute in the area.
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