LAKKI MARWAT, July 19: Several officials and low-ranking employees, including the executive district officer, were found absent when the district coordination officer Kifayatullah Khan paid a surprise visit to the office of the works and services department at the district headquarters complex in Tajazai on Wednesday.

“Acting on public complaints, DCO Kifayatullah Khan raided the office to check the attendance of officials and other staff,” official sources said.

They said that EDO Asif Iqbal, Assistant Director Buildings Ahmad Nawaz, Assistant Director Roads Sanaullah Khan, overseers as well as most of the subordinate employees were found missing from duty.

“It was also revealed that about 73 road labourers and 15 road mates were receiving salaries at their homes without doing any work and no record of their attendance except entries in the pay bills was available in the office,” sources said, adding that the attendance register presented on the occasion to the district coordination officer had the names of only five employees in it.

They said that the office of the EDO gave the look of a “Macchli Bazaar” as it was jam-packed with contractors who were busy in gossiping with one another.

“DCO Kifayatullah Khan expressed anguish over the poor attendance and directed that only a single attendance register should be maintained in the office,” sources added.