NAWABSHAH, Feb 7: A group of Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Zain) activists began observing hunger strike unto death outside the press club on Wednesday to pressure the authorities to cancel the decision of composite examination system for class IX and X and reopen closed schools in Nawabshah.

Talking to journalists, JSM-Z district president Akash Odho, Asad Sindhi and others demanded that separate examinations should be continued for class IX and X.

They also demanded opening of closed schools in Nawabshah district, posting of a science teacher at Majeed Keerio village high school and cancellation of teachers’ deputation.

They said that on the hand, government was destroying education in Sindh and, on the other, people of Sindh were being called illiterate.

RAID: An Anti-Corruption Establishment team raided the office of the executive engineer, LBOD Scarp, Nawabshah division, on Wednesday and seized the record.

ACE circle officer Aijaz Abbasi told Dawn that a grower of taluka Moro, Changal Dahri, had submitted an application with the ACE director, stating that LBOD Scarp tube-well installed at his land was not functioning since long. However, the officials had shown its repair on the papers and salaries of tube-well operators were being paid, he added.

The official said that during the raid, they found out that out of 519 tube-wells in the division, 121 tube-wells of Nawabshah-I sub-division, 95 of Nawabshah-II and 91 of Daur sub-division were shown repaired at a cost of Rs6 million during 2005-06. He added that Rs20 million was shown for payment to work-charge employees during 2005-06.