Corruption in education dept

Published January 25, 2002

SHEIKHUPURA, Jan 24: Corruption in the local education department is going without pause despite several warnings by the in charge of army monitoring cell.

Scores of people complained against the growing menace here on Thursday.

They said some nine higher officials and five clerks were found guilty after an inquiry into embezzlement of billions of rupees a year ago. The report was forwarded to the Punjab education secretary for a disciplinary action against the corrupt, they said, adding no action was taken and the situation remained worse.

The corrupt officials and the clerical staff, they said, were transferred and then appointed again on key posts somewhere else.

Citing an example, the sources said, official Ashiq Dogar had opened a fictitious account with the local Soneri Bank through fake documents.

According to them, the cheques and pay orders issued by the government for the welfare of schools and students were embezzled by the said official. They said Dogar was transferred from Sheikhupura to Sahiwal.

Former DEOs, Mukhtar Gill, Musarat Jabeen and Rashid Chaudhry, were transferred and then re-posted at the key posts, they claimed. Similarly, Arshad Mughal who had been charged in massive corruption and a case was also registered against him. He remained in jail for sometime but later bailed out. The case was still in process, they added. However, he was posted at Nankana Sahib on a handsome salary.

When contacted, the authority concerned said action would be taken against the officials involved in bungling of billions of rupees.

SHOT DEAD: A man was shot dead by dacoits on resistance while a girl was kidnapped in different parts of the district wee hours on Thursday.

Three dacoits barged into Muhammad Ramzan’s house in Gharibabad and shot dead him on resistance. They fled firing in the air.

In the jurisdiction of B division police station, four armed men burst into Qasim’s house in Chitti Kothi area. They held up the inmates and took away Qasim’s daughter with Rs50,000 in cash and gold ornaments.

Police are investigating against accused Khalid, Faisal, Shafique and Younis.

FIRE: Bales of cotton worth Rs1.5 million were on Thursday reduced to ashes when fire erupted in the trailer on the Faisalabad Road, some 32km from here.

Reports reaching here revealed a trailer, laden with cotton bales, was on its way to Faisalabad when flames spurted in the goods near Katchi Kothi. The consignment was reduced to ashes.

Fire-fighters came three hours after the incident.

Investigation is underway.

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