SHIKARPUR, April 20: Sindh Minister for Education Dr Hamida Khuhro has said that Sindh government was determined to improve standard of education, which had deteriorated due to wrong policies and irregularities in the department. Talking to newsmen at the circuit house here on Wednesday, the minister said that about 23,000 vacancies had been created only in the education department which would be filled up very soon, and the students of matric and intermediate classes would be provided free text books during the next financial year, she added.

To a question about appointment of the teaching staff at primary and secondary school level, Dr Khuhro claimed that all the appointments would be made purely on the basis of merit, without accepting any political interference.

She disclosed that no quota for the children of the teachers was fixed excepting children of those teachers who expired while in service.

About appointments on contract basis, the minister said that system was introduced only to build the capacity of the teaching staff to improve education standard.

MEDICAL CAMP: A two-day free medical camp was inaugurated by the GOC Pano Aqil military cantonment, Major General Ahmed Nawaz Saleem, at taluka hospital Lakhi Ghulam Shah, on Wednesday.

Addressing the function, the GOC said that in order to provide medical facilities to the poor patient at their doorsteps, such medical camps were being organised in the rural areas. District nazim Shikarpur, Muhammad Arif Mahar, also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the problem of shortage of specialists in civil hospital, Shikarpur.