MULTAN, Aug 3: The district education department is surprised to learn that some of the 28 missing motorbikes of the defunct literacy drive, Nai Roshni Scheme, are currently being illegally used by some senior officials.

Among the illegal users of the official two-wheelers are top education department officials, including the director public instructions (elementary education), the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education chairman, executive district officers and principals.

The 'Nai Roshni Scheme' was introduced by late Muhammad Khan Junejo, a former prime minister, in the 1980s to increase the literacy rate. Four-wheelers and two-wheelers were given to the administrative staff responsible to monitor functioning of the schools being run under the scheme.

However, the scheme could not survive for long, as succeeding governments bothered little about the project's success and eventually it was abandoned by 1991. Some of the vehicles were returned to the then divisional education department authorities by the officials working for the scheme while many others did not reach immediately.

After the devolution plan, some 'unscrupulous elements' stole away the NRS motorbikes parked at the directorate of schools. Recently, the district education authorities launched a campaign to find out the missing motorbikes.

A source in the education department revealed that five of the 33 motorbikes, which were given to the former Multan division, were found decaying at the Government Elementary Training College, Multan, store room while the remaining were in the use of either some influential officials or their staff members.

The list of the missing motorbikes and their alleged illegal users is as follows: MNL-2103, EDO literacy (Bahawalpur) Aizaz Ahmad Khan; KW-3708, Higher Secondary School (Larr) Principal Abdul Rahman Khan; MNL-2384, Multan BISE former chairman Mian Arif Saleem; KW-3686, Elementary College (Multan) subject specialist Faizullah Khan; Honda 70-cc, former DEO elementary (Multan) Hassan Raza Gillani; VRB-4024, former DDEO secondary (Bahawalpur) Muhammad Anwar; VRB-3910, c/o director elementary education (Multan); MHA-3544, c/o DPI (elementary) Punjab.

MNL-2385, caretaker Muhammad Aslam at the EDO education office in Multan; SCE-6303, superintendent Muhammad Sadiq at the office of DEO elementary education in Multan; VRB-4027, stenographer Irfan Ahmad Burki at the EDO education office (Multan); MHA-3530, assistant director Maqsood Husain Zaidi at the office of DEO secondary education; MHA-2392, driver Muhammad Younis at the office of director secondary education; VRB-4025, Government High School Boharr (Multan) senior headmaster.

VRB-3111, Muhammad Nishat c/o former EDO education (Multan); KW-3486, retired headmaster Muhammad Yar Vaince of the Government High School Shujaabad; MHA-3582, Mian Nazeer Akhtar c/o former EDO education (Khanewal); SE-6301, Sheikh Mahmood Alam c/o former EDO education (Vehari); KW-6937, superintendent Saeed Ahmad Khan at the office of EDO education (Vehari); MNL-2204, driver Muhammad Ramzan of the former DEO secondary education (Multan); KW-3716, retired headmaster Muhammad Rafiq Khaddal of the Government Middle School.

MNK-9449, AEO Sheikh Bashir Ahmad; VRB-4349, AEO Muhammad Akram of Markaz Tulamba; SLE-6140, retired AEO Sheikh Jehangir of Khanewal; SLE-6320, c/o former EDO education (Multan); Honda-125, AEO Rana Shabbir of Khanewal; Honda-125, and AEO Rao Abdul Jabbar of Khanewal. A motorcycle is said to be under the use of Rana Muhammad Mushtaq, security guard of the former DEO (female) Multan.

When talked, EDO (Education) Nazeer Chaudhry said notices would soon be served to all the illegal users of the official bikes. The NRS project was funded by the World Bank and some other international donors.

ELECTROCUTED: A labourer was electrocuted here on Tuesday when he touched an 11-KV electricity wire while working on a high-rise building near the busy Kutchery chowk.

Rasheed Ahmad used to earn his livelihood by working as a construction worker on daily wages. His body was burnt and cut into pieces after he remained hung for nearly an hour. He is survived by a wife, a son and five daughters.