BAHAWALNAGAR: The literacy mobilisers (LMs) and teachers of the Literacy and Non-Formal and Basic Education (NFBE) Department in the district have accused the department of purchasing substandard items in a recently approved project of literacy kits (LK) worth Rs7 million.

They also alleged they were forced to collect these items in less quantity from far-off locations at their own expense instead of receiving them at their centres as per the agreement.

Requesting anonymity, a number of LMs and teachers told Dawn that the vendor was bound to deliver the kits at the centres. They complained that each teacher was getting only Rs8,000 per month salary and they were forced to spend money on transporting literacy kits to schools.

They claimed that when they filed written complaints to the district education officer (DEO) literacy, he remained silent and did not take action against the vendor.

Muhammad Rehan, a literacy mobiliser (LM) from tehsil Minchinabad, in his written complaint (a copy available with Dawn), filed on Aug 27, said he had received 4,173 notebooks instead of 5,720, 195 geometry boxes instead of 260 while 364 soaps instead of 416 by the contractor for 26 literacy schools of Laleka and Fidai Shah areas.

He demanded DEO Literacy Muhammad Aslam to make the vendor bound to provide the remaining items. However, his request is yet to be entertained while he has been asked allegedly by the DEO to remain quiet.

A number of other literacy mobilisers, in their written complaints, also alleged that they were forced to receive kits from far-off locations.

The sources in the department claimed that like tehsil Minchinabad, the literacy schools established in tehsil Chishtian and tehsil Haroonabad were also facing the same issue while all 76 centres of tehsil Fort Abbas did not receive even a single kit.

They alleged that by supplying substandard and less quantity of material, the contractor had embezzled millions in the project with the nexus of department officials.

Akram Shaheen, the vendor for the department, claimed that the kits were delivered after checking quantity and quality of the items by a seven-member technical committee and literacy mobilisers were told about it. He said he had also taken written receipts from the officials concerned after delivering the kits to them.

Mr Shaheen, however, admitted that he had delivered the items at some specific locations instead of delivering them at schools.

CEO Education Kastura G. Shad said the DEO was facing multiple departmental inquiries over alleged corruption and his office had written to the secretary literacy regarding the DEO’s transfer.

He said on his written request, a team from the secretary had visited the literacy department and collected the record to investigate the matter.

It is worth mentioning that Bahawalnagar DC, in his letter (a copy available with Dawn) issued on June 29, had also recommended to the education department to surrender the services of the DEO.

The letter claimed that not only the performance, attitude and conduct of the DEO concerned were against ethics, there were multiple public complaints against him.

DEO Literacy Muhammad Aslam said he was not involved in any kind of corruption.

He clarified that checking the quality of kits and supply of the required quantity were the responsibilities of the technical committee and the vendor, respectively; however, no literacy mobiliser or teacher had complained to him about it. He claimed that kits had been sent to all the centres except eight.

Mr Aslam said a lobby in the department was behind a propaganda campaign against him.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2022