TOBA TEK SINGH, Oct 28: Controversy regarding the appointment of educators in the district deepened on Thursday with the spokesman of a provincial minister accusing the district nazim of patronizing corruption.

The recruitment of 478 educators was delayed last week after Punjab Forest Minister Dr Ashfaqur Rehman, supposed to deliver appointment letters, found irregularities in the selection process.

District Nazim Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq accused the minister of overreacting.

Mian Abdul Hafeez advocate, a spokesman for the minister, on Thursday refuted the nazim and claimed that it was on the direction of the nazim that local education officials got signatures forcibly from every applicant along with application forms in which they were bound to declare their choice of posting.

He added that education department had clearly directed that choice (for place of posting) had to be sought after selection on merit.

"The education officials received Rs10,000 as bribe for the said purpose and when the minister talked to the Punjab education minister, he confirmed that the choice option sought from applicants along with application forms was illegal."

Two killed: A woman and her relative died and three others seriously injured in a road accident on Thursday near Chuttiana Railway Station on Toba-Shorkot Cantonment Road.

Reports said Perveen Akhtar and Zahid Iqbal were on way to their village Chak 345 GB after attending funeral of a relative when their tractor-trolley was hit by a truck laden with cotton bales. As a result the trolley overturned killing both of them.

The injured identified as Abdul Sattar, Nazir Ahmad and Shahid were admitted to the DHQ hospital.

LIGHT RAIN: The city and the surrounding areas received wind followed by light rain on Thursday evening.