HYDERABAD, Feb 5: The Pakistan People’s Party MNA Nawab Abdul Ghani Talpur on Thursday directed the EDO of education to appoint a team to conduct survey of school buildings in the wake of complaints about use of substandard material in the construction and repair of schools in Jamshoro.

Addressing an open katchehry at the Sindh University residential colony, Mr Talpur said that the contractors and officials concerned found responsible for the substandard work would be taken to task.

The MNA was deluged with complaints against Hesco and Sui gas, shortage of drinking water and use of substandard material in the construction of development works besides hundreds of applications for jobs.

On complaints about rising crime rate, he directed the DPO to launch an operation against criminals and tighten noose around their necks. He asked him to hold camps at least once a week to receive public complaints.

He said that the contractors who had used substandard material in the construction of development works in connivance with the officers concerned would be prosecuted.

EDO of education Fakhar-i-Karim Siddiqui said that thanks to use of substandard material roofs of three newly-constructed schools in Jhangara and Bajara had already caved in and others posed a constant threat to children.

He said that the government believed in the supremacy of parliament and assured that it would honour its promise of “Roti, Kapra aur Makan” in due course of time.

He told the gathering that the prime minister had already approved construction of an overhead bridge at Kotri telegraph railway crossing and recommendations had been made to the federal government for the construction of an overhead bridge at Jamshoro railway crossing and a new bridge over the River Indus at Kotri.

Jamshoro Distict Coordination Officer Ahmed Bux Narejo, District Police Officer Farrukh Basheer, officials of Hesco, education and other departments were present at the open katchehry.

TAP: The Sindh chapter of the Tanzeem-i-Asatiza Pakistan has demanded regularisation of ad hoc lecturers and appointment of candidates who had passed Sindh Public Service Commission’s examination for lecturers’ jobs in the larger interest of education and students.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the provincial secretary of the association, Abdul Karim Shaikh and other office-bearers said that there was acute shortage of college teachers in the province.

They said that the students who could afford high tuition fees were trying to complete their studies at the tuition centres while the poor students were left at the mercy of colleges, which lacked many subject specialists.

They said that hundreds of teachers who had passed the SPSC examination had also received offer letters. They were now waiting for their appointment letters for the past nine months, they said.

They appealed to rulers not to play with the future of tens of thousands of students and appoint teachers immediately to fill vacant posts and save poor students’ future.