LARKANA, Aug 23: A ban on recruitment in government departments has cast a negative impact on technical education in the district, where temporary arrangements to run institutions have proved to be ineffective.

This was revealed by a survey conducted by this correspondent. According to sources, around 147 posts, ranging from that of a sweeper to principal, are lying vacant in government vocational institutes and schools for boys and girls in the district.

Sanctioned strength of staff at the institutes and schools in the district is 172 but only 25 people are working there. The ban on appointment in government departments since 1998 has not only affected technical education itself but also left the machines and instruments, worth millions of rupees, to rust.

The government vocational institutes in Larkana, Dokri, Kambar, Naudero, Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto, Warah and Madbaho are facing an acute shortage of staff.

The sanctioned strength of staff in the institutes is 34 but only one person is working in one of the institutes. The Government Polytechnic Institute, Larkana, has a sanctioned strength of 29 employees but it is being run by only 13 persons.

The district officer, education (technical) said that he had been trying to run the institutes by making temporary appointments and reshuffling but it was not a permanent cure. He added that permanent postings through the Sindh Public Service Commission or the district government could solve the problem.

It was learnt that recently the Sindh government had approved the schedule of new expenditure for monotechnic institutes in Kambar, Shahdadkot and Ratodero but the funds had not been yet released.

The district officer education (technical) has reportedly submitted a report to the district nazim and executive district officer (education) with a request for early appointments. District Nazim Khursheed Ahmed Junejo has approached the Sindh government to seek early arrangements to save technical education in the district from further harm.