CHITRAL, Dec 4: The provincial education secretary has overruled the resolution adopted by district council regarding the appointment of primary teachers in the government girls primary schools and ordered the executive district officer (EDO) education Chitral to issue appointment letters strictly according to the merit list prepared on the basis of the merit policy framed by the provincial government.

The EDO Education Chitral, Samad Gul, told Dawn that some four months ago the department had conducted tests and interviews of 45 teachers and merit list was prepared according to the provincial government’s merit policy.

But the district council members passed a resolution nullifying it and demanded to appoint the teachers on union council basis instead of open merit and it caused inordinate delay in the appointment of teachers adversely affecting the academic uplift of the students who remained without teachers for such a long period, he added.

But secretary education, the other day, overruled the resolution and ordered the appointment on the basis of open merit, he said adding that shortly after Eidul Fitr appointment letters will be issued to the selected candidates.

Meanwhile, a source in the department said that due to the friction between the district council and the education department, the 75 adult literacy centres approved for the district have been lapsed.

According to sources, the members of the district council wanted the establishment of centres in places pointed by the respective Nazims irrespective of the criterion set by the provincial government.

The matter was referred to the provincial government and the centres were withdrawn.