Daily Times

Deputy District Education Officer-Female (DDEO-F) Kalsoom Durrani has allegedly collected bribe from 200 government girls’ elementary and secondary schools to clear audit objections leveled against her.

Sources privy to the development revealed that serious objections regarding the financial irregularities was raised during the financial audit of year 2017-18 of Directorate of Elementary and Secondary Education (female) conducted by two senior officers Atif Khan and Talib.

A senior official wishing anonymity said, “To remove the objections, DDEO-F Kalsoom Durrani verbally ordered her staff members to collect up to Rs 10,000 from each elementary school’s head and Rs 5,000 from the head of each secondary school for giving to the audit team to get a clean chit. She has threatened the head of schools who shows resistance in giving the amount.”

According to sources, DDEO-F with the support of cashier and a junior clerk has also withdrawn Rs 0.4 million for this purpose from departmental bank account through seven different checks. The fraud got exposed when some headmistresses told the audit team about the amount collection from the head of the schools and internal inquiry was initiated to probe the issue. “I joined the Rawalpindi station on May 19, I was conducting trainings and did not visited the school when the audit was conducted,” Kalsoom Durrani said while talking exclusively to Daily Times.

Elementary & Secondary Education Chief Executive Officer Riaz Ahmed said, “Internal inquiry of the issue is going on, however I cannot give any version unless I received any written report, complaint or comments in this regards.”

Published in Daily Times, August 17^th 2018.