18 October 2004	Monday	03 Ramazan 1425

LARKANA, Oct 17: The district government has decided to initiate a probe into the utilization of funds placed at the disposal of school management committees, and in this regard, the district nazim has formed a three-member committee that would take up the investigation soon after holding a meeting with the EDO (education).

The committee, comprising officials of finance, elementary education and roads departments, was formed after the district government received numerous complaints regarding alleged misuse and misappropriation of huge funds by the SMCs, sources told this correspondent here on Sunday.

The district government had released an amount of Rs38,064,546 to assistant district officers (elementary education), for onward distribution to schools falling in their jurisdictions, they said, adding that a clandestine survey conducted through commissioned officers in Ratodero sub-division revealed startling facts.

This prompted the nazim to issue show cause notices to the assistant district officer, five supervisors as well as resource persons working in union councils Ratodero I and II, Banguldero, Jummao Agham, and Warisdino Mashi, they said.

The district nazim personally heard the officers out on Saturday before going ahead with the action, they said, adding that a deep probe into the alleged misappropriation of funds would open the Pandora box.

However, it was learnt that the district government had decided to replace the assistant district officer, supervisors, and the resource person of Ratodero sub-division in consultation with the education department, the sources concluded.