HYDERABAD, June 13: Former secretary-general of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat Mr Taj Joyo and over a dozen prominent writers have appealed to the Sindh chief minister to take notice of the Sindhi Adabi Board’s performance to protect its reputation.

In a statement issued here on Monday, they said that literary stalwarts like Syed Meeran Mohammad Shah, G.M. Syed, Allama Daudpoto, Pir Hussamuddin Rashdi, Talibul Moula, Ibrahim Joyo, Maulana Ghulam Mustafa Qasimi, Dr Nabi Bux Baloch and Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Grami had remained over the helm of affairs of the board.

They said that the board had rendered valuable services for the promotion of Sindhi language, literature, history and folklore.

They said that other literary institutes of the country had emulated Sindhi Adabi Board.

They said that in order to save the reputation of the board, mediocre people and people with bureaucratic tendencies should be transferred and its administration should be handed over to selfless and well-reputed writers and scholars.

REJOINDER: In a rejoinder to the statement an OSD to the Sindh education minister and a member of the board of governors of the Sindhi Adabi Board, Mr Mansoor Qadir Junejo, said that there was no crisis in the board, but a group of people with their own vested interests has unleashed a negative propaganda.

He said that the group wanted to create a wrong impression among people against the education department and government.

In a statement faxed to Dawn on Tuesday, he said that it was known to all and sundry that only two and a half years back, the board did not have enough money to pay salary to its employees.

He said that the education minister and chairperson of the board, Dr Hameeda Khuhro, had solved all financial and administrative problems.

Mr Junejo said that she was instrumental in increasing the board’s grant from Rs5 million to Rs7.5 million and its publication section had been reactivated.

He said that about 200 old and new books had been published by the board during two and a half years and for the first time, development works at a cost of Rs40 million had already been approved.

He said that a welfare fund for writers with an initial amount of Rs2 million had also been set up to provide financial help to needy writers.

He said that it was an irony that instead of praising the performance of the board, vested interest had targeted the great institution for criticism.

LUMHS: The controller of examinations of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences on Tuesday announced results of diploma in medical radio diagnosis (DMRD) part-I and part-II and diploma in family medicine (DFM) postgraduate diploma examination 2006 held in the month of April 2006.

The controller also announced the result of M.D final (general medicine) postgraduate degree examination 2006 held in May 2006.

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