HYDERABAD, April 19 The Hyderabad District Union Councils' Scretaries Forum has appealed to the government to adjust them in the Sindh council unified grade because they have been working as officiating secretaries in the UCs since 2001.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Saturday, forum's General Secretary Waheed Ahmed Ghori said that after the implementation of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, they had been designated as officiating secretaries with effect from Nov 1, 2001.

Mr Ghori said they had repeatedly requested the minister for local government and also filed a petition in the Sindh High Court about their adjustment as secretaries of the union councils.

The Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit bench had ordered that they should be given priority in postings, he said.

The general secretary, however, complained that the Sindh government was making new appointments on the posts they had been serving as officiating secretaries.

He regretted that the government had failed to announce a clear policy in their matter, adding that they were being denied their rights. He appealed to the authority concerned that they should be merged in the Sindh council unified grade to protect their rights as secretaries of the union councils.