SAHIWAL-The Education Department funds of Rs22.5 million for the establishment of IT labs in public sector schools are set to lapse due to corruption of the officers concerned.
The government of Punjab had released the funds in the financial year 2015-16, for establishing computer labs in schools of district Sahiwal. The Education Department for five times sought tenders for the project but it could not finalise the terms with contractors and issuance of work order is still pending, sources said.
They added the reason of the delay is a dispute on the amount of commission and if the funds are not utilised before June 15, the funds will lapse and the very important project will be failed. People demanded that the chief minister of Punjab should take notice of the serious matter otherwise hundreds of students will be deprived of the facility.
On other side, some corrupt officers of Education Department embezzled Rs4 million in purchasing of 125 guns for the security guards of public sector schools in district Sahiwal.
The mount showed in papers was over Rs21.8 million to contractor at Rs175,000 per gun. However, the officers of Education Department have actually paid Rs17.86 million to the contractor.
Thus, the officers embezzled an amount of Rs4 million. The embezzlement was revealed during the scrutiny of an audit team. Commissioner Income Tax Sahiwal has taken notice of the embezzlement and ordered an investigation into the matter.
CM SEEKS REPORT OF ‘IRREGULARITIES’
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the irregularities in the recruitment of educators in Sahiwal and sought report from the secretary schools education in this regard.
Candidates had said in a news items published in The Nation that the members of interview committee were directed by their high-ups to record the interview marks with lead pencil and their role is just to take attendance. All record is sent to the office of District Monitoring Officer Sahiwal for preparation of merit list where the relevant staff adjusts the favourite candidates with political references by lowering or increasing the interview marks of candidates, they said. They had demanded the high-ups to take notice of the violation of merit and took action to ensure transparency in the process.