Seven officers and three clerks of the Education Department were suspended on Monday on charges of corruption and misuse of power.
Education secretary (schools) Aslam Kamboh had received a letter from Rana Muqeem and Nazar Cheema, teachers in Wazirabad, accusing seven women officers and three clerks of misusing powers to misappropriate departmental funds.
The teachers had named Gujranwala DO Tahira Perveen, formerly Wazirabad DDO; assistant education officers Fauzia Malhi, Rifat Shaheen, Razia Sultana, Nargis Bibi, Yasmin and Zaibunnisa and three clerks Asif Khan, Ayub and Tahir Mehmood in their letter.
They accused the officials of illegally appointing six Grade-IV servants and embezzling of Rs6.25 million in school management funds.
The education secretary ordered an inquiry into the matter. The Education Department annually releases Rs20,000 to primary and middle schools and Rs50,000 to high schools in their school management fund.
Instead, the accused had sent Rs200,000 to primary and middle schools and Rs500,000 to high schools.
The school management were later informed of the ‘mistake’ and asked to return the excess amount. The returned amount was deposited in the personal accounts of the accused, the report said.
After the inquiry report was sent to the education secretary, EDO Ghazanfar Sani issued the suspension orders and directed the officials to reimburse the money under PEEDA Act. Ziaul Mustafa, a public school teacher in Gujranwala, said that around Rs7m were embezzled in Gujranwala. He said a similar inquiry will be completed within a few days and those involved in fraud punished.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2011.
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