LARKANA, May 5: The chief minister’s inspection team taking serious notice of the selling of textbooks to the junk-sop, which were supposed to be provided free to students, asked the district Nazim, Larkana, to carry out an inquiry regarding the incident and supervise the distribution of books, it was learnt here on Monday.

The secretary of the investigation team, Syed Hassan Abbas Naqvi, in a letter to the district Nazim said that the member-III (Manzoor Ahmed Awan), the executive district officer (Education) and district officer (Revenue) while visiting a number of primary schools in Larkana district on April 24 came to know that the textbooks meant for free distribution were not distributed among the students although the academic session had already started.

The students had been left with no alternative but to buy books from the market.

Mr Manzoor found that textbooks had been dumped in the office of the assistant district officer, Mirokhan, and had been lying there since a month.

He said that it was quite surprising that the students or their parents had not been informed that textbooks would be provided free.

He criticized the officials of the district education department, Larkana, saying that it was an attempt to sabotage the government’s efforts to raise the literacy rate in the province.

Responding to observations of the chief minister’s inspection team, the district Nazim, Larkana, Khurshid Ahmed Junejo, on May 4, appointed the executive district officer (Finance), Mohammd Yasin Shar, as an inquiry officer.

The district Nazim said all the officers concerned are equally responsible for this unfortunate situation.

He sought a report within a fortnight fixing the responsibility on the delinquent, whosoever he may be.

The EDO (Finance) on being contacted said that the district officer, Revenue, Mirokhan, has been asked to provide an inquiry report within three days as to why the textbooks were dumped in his office.

Amir Bakhsh Gaad, chairman, education sub-committee of the district council, said that he along with the EDO (Education), Larkana, discovered that textbooks had not been distributed in the primary school of Panjoodero (Naudero) till Monday.

The headmaster of the school collected used books from senior students and distributed them to those of lower classes since he had no new books to distribute.

However, the EDO (Education), Larkana, Prof Shahnawaz Memon, holding the headmaster of the school responsible, has suspended him with orders to report to the EDO office.