MIRPURKHAS: The Sindh government has taken notice of a ghost primary school teacher, also posing himself as journalist in Mirpurkhas and enjoying privileges for years, and sought a detailed report from the education and literacy department about him.

Sources said that director of information Sawai Khan Chhalgri had issued a letter recently, after receiving a complaint about Mohammad Saleh Otho, to the director of education (primary schools), Mirprukahs division, seeking verification of his service record.

The official requested to direct the DEO or SDO concerned to furnish a detailed report along with fresh salary slip, photocopy of service book and present place of posting of the ghost teacher, said the sources.

The sources quoted the complainant Mohammad Mithal Khaskheli as saying in his written complaint that Otho was posted as a primary school teacher in government boys’ primary school Bhansinghabad on Aug 1, 1995.

He was issued accreditation card by the directorate of information department and he received many thousands of rupees of government grant in his capacity as an office-bearer of the press club.

Recently, he was given a cheque for Rs500,000 and received the cash personally whose record was available in information department, Karachi, he said.

He accused Otho and his colleagues of squandering away government funds on recreation trips.

He had formed a fake citizen community board during the district governments tenure between 2005 and 2008 and got approved about Rs6 million for the construction of a computer center and lab for journalists but instead a restaurant was built which was being run on commercial basis, said the sources.

He demanded Sindh chief minister, governor, chief justice of Sindh High Court, Rangers DG and NAB should order an impartial inquiry and arrest the ghost teacher and his accomplices involved in misuse of government funds.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2016