Higher secondary schools reopen in J&K's Poonch

Higher secondary schools reopened in Poonch district of Jammu region on Monday after remaining closed for over three weeks due to restrictions imposed in the wake of abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status earlier this month, an official said.

Colleges in the district, however, continued to remain closed and are likely to resume work this week after a review of the law-and-order situation, the official said.

"The higher secondary schools have started functioning normally across the district. The schools in the city and adjoining areas registered a 90 per cent attendance, and it was around 70 per cent in far-flung areas," District Development Commissioner Rahul Yadav said.

"We are expecting full attendance in the coming days," Yadav said, adding the situation across the district "remained peaceful" and there was "no report" of any untoward incident.

As students faced "some problems" due to the deployment of forces, the troops were shifted from one of the higher secondary schools, the commissioner said.

The primary and middle schools in the district opened on Monday last week, followed by high schools a few days later.

Yadav said the administration was hopeful that the colleges, too, would reopen this week. "We will review the situation and a decision will be taken accordingly," he said.

As the mobile and Internet services remain suspended in the district, Yadav said the announcement of reopening of the higher secondary schools was made over radio.

Landline services and broadband Internet are functional in most parts of Jammu region, while mobile networks are operational only in some districts.

Phone and mobile Internet services remain suspended in sensitive districts, including Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda. The mobile Internet services also remained suspended in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur and Reasi districts.