Non-teaching staff illegal appointments

CM seeked report on 400 'illegal' appointments
Karachi, Nov 25: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has ordered an inquiry into the recent appointment of non-teaching staff in city government-run schools to investigate as to how over 400 job letters were issued when there was a ban in place on recruitment and transfers in government departments, it has been learnt.

According to sources, Additional Secretary (Administration) of the Chief Minister's Secretariat Abdul Hafeez Umrani sent a letter on the issue to the city government's district officer (coordination), seeking a report on "illegal appointments" at the earliest. The letter (dated Nov 16, 2009) stated: "The education department of the city district government, Karachi, has issued over 400 appointment letters for non-teaching posts, despite a ban on recruitment and transfers in government departments."

Referring to CM's remarks on the matter, the official in the letter requested the district officer (coordination) to ensure that the report concerning the illegal appointments is submitted to the Chief Minister's secretariat at the earliest as the chief minister had desired so.

The sources said that the city government's district officer for coordination conveyed the message to EDO (Education) Ibrahim Kumbhar on Nov 18, requesting him to furnish the report on a "top priority" basis. They said that the city government education department had recently issued the appointment letters to fill more than 400 vacancies for computer operators, lab attendants, lab assistants, naib qasid, chowkidar and sweepers reportedly on political grounds.

The sources said the Chief Minister's House, which sought a complete record of the appointments made by the city government, lately recommended over 400 names to the city government's education department for non-teaching posts, with a direction to issue them appointment letters. However, they added that the provincial government lifted the ban on the appointments before making these recommendations.

They said that over 4,500 candidates were interviewed last year at Safia Khan Memorial School, New Town, for appointments on non-teaching posts. However, the sources added that none of them was considered by the city government education department while issuing the appointment letters in violation of the ban on recruitment and the provincial government while recommending the names after lifting the ban.

Interestingly, the inquiry report on the illegal recruitment of non-teaching staff has been sought at a time when a probe into illegal appointments of 450 teachers in primary schools is under way. The inquiry into the teachers' appointment was assigned to a team of officials by City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal in October.

The posting orders were issued in August reportedly by a district officer (education) of the local bodies wing, who was replaced by another official and then suspended after the probe was ordered. However, the inquiry committee, headed by EDO (Municipal Services) Masood Alam, is still seized with the case and thus the fate of those teachers who received their posting orders and started teaching at primary schools two to three months ago still hangs in the balance.

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School teachers demoted to BPS-7 from BPS-9
Nawabshah: More than 150 contractual primary teachers appointed after clearing the test are demoted from BPS-9 to BPS-7 through a corrigendum issued by district education officers of Benazirabad and Naushahro Feroze areas.

The affected teachers have demanded of the Chief Minister and education minister to take notice of the reversion of their basic pay scales and order its withdrawal. The primary school teachers (PSTs) led by their coordinator Riaz Ahmed Pirzado said on Tuesday that hundreds of candidates after clearing the IBA test were appointed as PSTs in BPS-9 including those of Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushahro Feroze, Dadu and others.

They said that within a short time all the PSTs of Shaheed Benazirabad and Naushahro Feroze were reverted to BPS-7 through a corrigendum issued by executive district officers education of respective districts whereas the same teachers were enjoying BPS-9 in Hyderabad, Jamshoro and other districts and also getting salaries of that grade.

They said that the Education Department had mentioned BPS-9 for the post of primary school teacher in the advertisement published in the newspapers. They said that when they contacted the concerned officials, they were informed that the offer and appointment order mentioning BPS-09 was a typing mistake and only those teachers who had passed PTC would be given BPS-9.

They further said that Prime Minister had announced 20 per cent increase as ad-hoc allowance for all government employees including contractual employees under BPS-16 and they were also being deprived of that allowance since appointment. Confusion has erupted as the Education Department and Account Office were directing them towards each other.

EDO Education Shaheed Benazirabad, Razi Khan Jamali admitted that the teachers were appointed in BPS-9 and the Treasury was not releasing their salaries as they were untrained. Their grades were revised downwards for getting their salaries released, he added.

He said that orders had issued to promote the teachers to BPS-09 who had passed the PTC. Regarding 20 per cent ad-hoc allowance, he said that he had sent the difference bill to district accounts office however it was delayed due to technical fault in their system.

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BISE supplementary examinations part-II 2009 schedule
Hyderabad: Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Hyderabad on Tuesday announced the commencement of supplementary examinations 2009 of Higher Secondary Certificate part-II from December 5.

Second semester examinations in all teaching institutes and departments of the University of Sindh Jamshoro began here on Tuesday.

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PTC, CT training to continue
Hyderabad: The training courses of Primary Teaching Certificate (PTC) and Certificate of Teaching (CT) would continue up to 2012 in all elementary colleges of Education in Sindh. This was announced in the Education Policy 2009, said Director, Bureau of Curriculum and Extension Wing Sindh, Jamshoro.

He said that that the associate degree in education (Diploma in Education) pilot programme, which is connected with the BEd, would be introduced from academic session 2010-11 in four colleges – GECE (Women) Hussainabad Karachi and Hyderabad and GECE (Men) Mithi and Sukkur.

Subsequently, it would be expanded in the remaining colleges of the province and after 2018, it would phase out by introducing BEd programme in all elementary colleges.

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14 colleges to hold masters classes
Karachi: The Sindh education department has decided to start masters classes in 14 degree colleges of the province by according them the status of post-graduate institutions.

Sources in the education department said that efforts were under way to introduce masters classes in the proposed post-graduate colleges as soon as the required teaching staff, including PhD teachers, was arranged.

The decision had been taken by Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq. Govt Degree Girls College, Sharea Liaquat; Govt Degree Abdullah Girls College, North Nazimabad; Govt Zaibunnisa Girls College, Block F, North Karachi; Govt Boys College, Ghotki; Govt Islamia College, Sukkur; Govt Degree Girls/ Boys College, Sukkur; Govt Degree College, Latif- abad; Govt Degree College, Kali Morri, Hyderabad; Govt Degree College Boys, Dadu and two colleges of Lar- kana, one each for boys and girls, would shortly be given the status of post-graduate colleges.

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School buildings in use of landlords
Dadu: Some 65 buildings of primary girls, boys and middle schools in Dadu were found in possessions of feudal lords and influential people. These buildings were being misused.The EDO Education Dadu, Sajan Mallah on Tuesday sent a report to Sindh Education Department explaining that feudal lords were using 65 buildings of primary schools as Autaq (guest houses), stores of chaff, foodgrain and cattle pens.

He stated that a survey by his department revealed illegal occupation of 65 buildings located in different talukas since last many years with not a single student enrolled, therein. The provincial education minister had directed district administration to get vacated these buildings and hand over to other departments for setting up police stations, health centres and other government departments.

The building of primary girls and middle school in village Sheer Mohammad Solangi in taluka Dadu was in pathetic condition as no classes were being held there rather it was devoid of doors and windows with animals wandering around. A villager Nadir Leghari said that the schools were closed since last 11 years as no teacher was appointed after the construction of buildings depriving some 1,000 girls of the village and its surroundings of education.

Even Sajan Mallah attributed the closure of girls and middle schools of Sheer Mohammad Solangi to the shortage of teachers and added that these could function if teachers were appointed.

Education Minister Pir Mazhar had already directed the officials of his department to reopen 500 closed schools in the district.

The minister said that no new school building would be constructed till closed schools were not reopened. Dawn

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Varsity students crushed to death
Karachi: Three university students were crushed to death and one injured in a road mishap when an oil tanker overturned on a car on the National Highway. The driver of the tanker fled the scene.

The accident took place on Tuesday evening near Shahbaz Petrol Pump within the limits of Steel Town Police Station when a Suzuki Mehran of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) bearing the registration number AB-7037, carrying four people, was crushed under an oil tanker (LSA-7349).

According to the rescuers who reached the accident site immediately, three of the four people died on the spot, while the fourth was pulled out injured and initially shifted to the hospital of Pakistan Steel. The doctors there referred the victims to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where the dead were later identified as Jahanzaib s/o Chaudhry Arshad, Umair Kiyani s/o Afzal Kiyani and Sardar Khan s/o Afzal Khan, while the injured as Ismail.

Following the accident, hundreds of people including officials and personnel of PSM rushed to the spot, trying to pull out the bodies from the wreck. However, all efforts proved futile and cranes from Pakistan Steel had to be called to lift the oil tanker and recover the bodies.

SHO Altaf Hussain said that all the deceased were young men between 20-30 years of age and were students of private educational universities. He further said that the car was owned by the PSM and had been allotted to Chaudhry Arshad, Deputy Manager (Operations) Transport Department. His son Jahanzaib and his friends also sons of Pakistan Steel employees, had perished in the tragic accident.

"We are in the initial stages of investigation and cannot say exactly how the accident took place. According to eyewitnesses, the car was returning to Steel Town after refuelling, when the speedy oil tanker in order to protect it, ran over the footpath and unfortunately fell on top of the car," said the officer.

The investigation in this regard is underway as some unconfirmed reports apparently suggest that the tie-rod of the tanker broke and it overturned on the ill-fated car. The police were looking for the runaway driver of the tanker and had also recorded the statement of Ismail, also an employee at Pakistan Steel Officers Club, who was injured in the accident and later released from the hospital after medical treatment.

The police seized the oil tanker while no case was registered until the filing of this report. Daily times

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