GUJRANWALA, May 4: The general record room in civil courts has virtually become a ‘ghost bungalow’ thanks to the negligence of the officials appointed there.

It is learnt that the officials, who have been assigned the job of keeping the record shipshape, want themselves to be transferred to some other department. Lawyers, on the other hand, are suggesting that the entire record should be computerised to avoid corruption and theft of important files.

The record room in civil courts was established over 150 years ago where about 10 million files and other record of civil and criminal cases of 50 courts have been placed wrapped in cloth. These documents are covered with dust and the officials avoid entering the room owing to stink.

The officials claim that scores of files of important cases have been placed in the Civil Defence Office, as the courts’ record room is already overcrowded. A number of files have gone missing from the store from time to time, but the police have failed to recover them.

Record: An Anti-Corruption Establishment team raided Aroop Town nazim office and seized the record of awarding contracts on Thursday.

Naib nazims of union councils of opposition Umar Farooq and Lala Riaz Qamar, etc., sent a memorandum to the ACE alleging that the nazim gave contracts of various works to his own men and allocated Rs1.2 million for decoration of his office.

When contacted, nazim Rao Ikram Ali of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) said his rivals were blackmailing him.

PERVAIZ’S VISIT: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi is due here on Friday (today) to inaugurate the Divisional Public College sports complex, GT Road dual carriageway and Jinnah Park, says a handout issued on Thursday.