DADU, Feb 10: An inquiry has been initiated after detection of appointments of 38 primary teachers on fraudulent basis in Johi sub-division of the education department.

The fraud was detected when EDO, education, Sajan Mallah, was checking lists of teachers at the office of the assistant district education officer (ADEO), male, Johi. He found the record of 38 fake appointments of primary teachers and seized the record of the office.

The primary teachers whose appointment was allegedly fake, after getting last pay certificates from district accounts office, got themselves transferred from one area to another in Johi sub-division and continue to draw salaries from the district accounts office with the help of education officials.

The EDO told Dawn the 38 teachers were drawing salaries from district accounts office of Dadu for the last many months. He said that he had checked lists of primary teachers from supervisors and at the ADEO male office Johi where no one was ready to claim the responsibility.

He said that a four-member inquiry team, headed by the accounts officer of EDO education office, Abdul Karim Soho, had been constituted to probe into the matter. He said that he reported the matter to Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq.

He said that lists of primary teachers of Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar and Dadu talukas would be re-checked at education offices and district accounts office, and fitness certificates of teachers would also be checked at Civil Hospital Dadu. He said that more fake appointments could be found in Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar and Dadu talukas.

Citizens Action Committee general secretary Qaim Ali Siyal alleged that 100 primary teachers were getting salary with the help of education officers through fake appointments in Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar and Dadu sub-divisions.

A jobless youth, Mohammad Azam, said that teachers were appointed while neglecting merit in Dadu in PML-Q and PML-N-led governments and deplored that the PPP government was also following their footsteps.

BIOGAS: The Pakistan chapter of the World Wildlife Fund for nature is installing biogas plants in 15 villages of Dadu and Johi talukas in partnership with local communities to provide an alternate source of energy and help reduce consumption of wood as fuel.

The coordinator of Indus for All Programme of the WWF, Nasir Ali Panhwar, said during a visit to a site for biogas plant in Johi that the plants would contribute significantly to reduce number of trees cut down for use as fuel, which was alarmingly high these days in the Kachho area.