KARACHI, Feb 12: Sindh Education Minister Irfanullah Marwat, on Thursday, directed all EDOs (Education) of the province to submit reports on Rs611 millions funds, disbursed among them under the Education Sector Reforms (ECR), within a week.

The minister was presiding over a meeting, which was attended by EDOs (Education), deputy secretaries and secretary education here at his office. He asked the participants of the meeting to personally monitor the spending of School Management Committees (SMCs) funds.

"If any official of education department is found involved in embezzlement of SMC funds or the money disbursed under ECR, he will not be spared and immediately terminated from his post," he warned.

He maintained that donor agencies and federal government were repeatedly demanding reports on usage of funds provided to provincial education department for education sector reforms. He made it clear that anybody furnishing misleading reports would be taken to task.

"I don't want to listen that an EDO achieved 100 per cent targets or others achieved over 80 per cent results. All I am demanding is detailed reports on monthly basis regarding funds' usage and what difference that money has made," he said.

The minister also directed the officials to apprise his office about the vacant posts of teaching and non-teaching staff in schools, colleges and technical institutions all over the province within a week so that steps could be taken to fill these vacancies.

In addition, he said, EDOs should also identify 300 primary schools in the province within a week for upgrading them into middle schools under the Decentralized Elementary Education Project.

Mr Marwat disclosed that he was receiving complaints against irregularities in opening and award of tenders in several districts of the province. He said inquiries were being conducted to probe into the reports and initiate action against those found responsible.

Directing the EDOs to monitor educational institutions, he said education supervisors should regularly visit institutions in their respective areas. He said if they found anybody disobeying his superiors, they should suspend that person immediately.

The minister said if any official of the education department faced difficulty in use of funds, he should approach him (the education minister) so that the problem could be solved forthwith.

Meanwhile, Irfanullah Marwat said that all vacancies in the department would be filled in accordance with rules and regulations and no appointment would be made against the merit.

According to a handout issued here on Thursday, the minister said that some politicians with vested interest were issuing baseless statements and levelling allegations against him, which were "incorrect".

"We are not interfering into the affairs of district governments and everything being done by provincial government is for the welfare and prosperity of people of Sindh," he said. -PPI