A haunting issue: Watchdog body tries to exorcise district of ghost schools
Public Accounts Committee reviews audit of Tando Muhammad Khan govt’s accounts.
PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The Public Accounts Committee doesn’t need to use other-worldly entities to strike terror into the hearts of education officials in Tando Muhammad Khan. Its chairperson, Jam Tamachi Unar, who is livid over the problem of ghost schools in the province, might have done just that on Tuesday.
“I am sick of hearing the same complaints about thousands of deserted schools over and over again,” the irate chairperson told the district’s deputy commissioner, Asif Ali Memon, during a meeting. “If the education department isn’t capable of dealing with the situation, it might as well sell the buildings.” The watchdog body had called a meeting to review the audit of the district government’s accounts for the year 2010-2011.
“The teachers are not doing their job,” said Unar. “If the government does not step in to rescue children’s future, then who will?”
Memon seemed to be struggling to supply answers as the watchdog body volleyed question after question his way. “Give me more time and I will resolve my district’s problems,” he said.
Earlier on, Ghulam Akbar Sohu, the audit’s director general, had pointed some discrepancies in the district government’s accounts. A total amount of Rs288 million was given to the district government for the Sindh Education and Reform Programme. After the executive district officer of education had spent the amount needed, Rs11.56 million were still unutilised. But Sohu said that at the time of the audit, the closing balance in the bank was just Rs1.8 million. “We have repeatedly asked officials to explain this, but they have not given us a satisfactory response as yet.”
When the watchdog body turned to the deputy commissioner for an answer, all he could do was hazard a guess. “The amount was spent on education, I just don’t know how.”
And indeed, this guesswork was hazardous for Memon as it invited more ire. “This attitude shows how injustice is being meted out to Sindh,” said the committee’s chairperson.
He gave the officials one week to produce the record and explain how the amount was utilised. Unar also advised them to follow the 1998 census and identify the schools buildings so that they could be restored.
Bugged over drugs
The audit’s director general also told the appalled watchdog body that the district government had purchased medicines worth Rs7.5 million for public hospitals without bothering to obtain the required laboratory reports on their quality. “It seems as if the officials had purchased substandard medicines.”
The deputy commissioner said that because of the floods, he didn’t get time to go to Hyderabad to get the reports. Unar was not amused. “You officials are playing with the lives of innocent people,” he said, while ordering for the point to be deferred.
During the meeting, a total 20 points involving an amount of Rs148 million were discussed. The district government officials produced the record of just 12 points. The rest had to be deferred .
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2013.
The Public Accounts Committee doesn’t need to use other-worldly entities to strike terror into the hearts of education officials in Tando Muhammad Khan. Its chairperson, Jam Tamachi Unar, who is livid over the problem of ghost schools in the province, might have done just that on Tuesday.
“I am sick of hearing the same complaints about thousands of deserted schools over and over again,” the irate chairperson told the district’s deputy commissioner, Asif Ali Memon, during a meeting. “If the education department isn’t capable of dealing with the situation, it might as well sell the buildings.” The watchdog body had called a meeting to review the audit of the district government’s accounts for the year 2010-2011.
“The teachers are not doing their job,” said Unar. “If the government does not step in to rescue children’s future, then who will?”
Memon seemed to be struggling to supply answers as the watchdog body volleyed question after question his way. “Give me more time and I will resolve my district’s problems,” he said.
Earlier on, Ghulam Akbar Sohu, the audit’s director general, had pointed some discrepancies in the district government’s accounts. A total amount of Rs288 million was given to the district government for the Sindh Education and Reform Programme. After the executive district officer of education had spent the amount needed, Rs11.56 million were still unutilised. But Sohu said that at the time of the audit, the closing balance in the bank was just Rs1.8 million. “We have repeatedly asked officials to explain this, but they have not given us a satisfactory response as yet.”
When the watchdog body turned to the deputy commissioner for an answer, all he could do was hazard a guess. “The amount was spent on education, I just don’t know how.”
And indeed, this guesswork was hazardous for Memon as it invited more ire. “This attitude shows how injustice is being meted out to Sindh,” said the committee’s chairperson.
He gave the officials one week to produce the record and explain how the amount was utilised. Unar also advised them to follow the 1998 census and identify the schools buildings so that they could be restored.
Bugged over drugs
The audit’s director general also told the appalled watchdog body that the district government had purchased medicines worth Rs7.5 million for public hospitals without bothering to obtain the required laboratory reports on their quality. “It seems as if the officials had purchased substandard medicines.”
The deputy commissioner said that because of the floods, he didn’t get time to go to Hyderabad to get the reports. Unar was not amused. “You officials are playing with the lives of innocent people,” he said, while ordering for the point to be deferred.
During the meeting, a total 20 points involving an amount of Rs148 million were discussed. The district government officials produced the record of just 12 points. The rest had to be deferred .
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2013.