MITHI, Jan 28: The Tharparkar District Council in a resolution adopted on Tuesday expressed concern over the shortage of medicines at hospitals and dispensaries of the district.

Jarar Dal tabled the resolution, saying hospitals and dispensaries were short of medicines for the last two months which had added to miseries of poor patients visiting the health care centres as they were not getting free drugs.

A representative of the EDO, health, informed the council that the non-release of required funds had caused the shortage of medicines at a number of hospitals. He gave an assurance that drugs would be provided to the hospital in a few days.

The district council also criticized appointments of additional supervisors of primary education who the council members said were working as henchmen of corrupt people who had misappropriated funds of school management committees.

The resolution was moved by Mr Dal and Abdul Raheem Khoso. They said according to rules and regulations, education department officers could not appoint a primary teacher as an additional supervisor of primary education. However, they regretted that local education officers had appointed their blue-eyed teachers as additional supervisors.

Abdul Latif alleged that the local officers had embezzled funds of the SMCs by supplying low-quality furniture and stationary items on high rates to different schools. He said the members had complained of the misappropriation several times at district council's sessions but no action had been taken against the accused.

Mohanlal, Poonjomal, Rijhumal and other members said a large number of ghost teachers were drawing their salaries. They said the standard of education was deteriorating as a result. Convener Ramsingh Sodho directed the chairman of the district education committee to probe into the matter and furnish his report at the next session of the council.

The council also adopted a resolution calling upon the government to extend the date for correcting names in voter lists by one month. Bherulal in his resolution pointed out that several employees of other districts had been appointed at the family planning department in Thar.

He said local people should be provided with jobs in their place. The convener directed council officials to call the officer concerned at the Wednesday session for clarification in this regard.