KARACHI: As many as 1.6 million desks are required for government sector schools in Sindh as per the survey of Reform Support Unit, Secretary Procurement Committee told the Sindh High Court (SHC).

According to a written order of a single bench of SHC comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar in a case released here on Wednesday, Secretary Procurement Committee told the bench though every year 6.6 billion rupees budget is allocated for procurement purpose and present case pertains to purchase of 250,000 desks, however such procurement is delayed because there is ad-interim order by this court since 2019.

Secretary Procurement Committee contended that the issue is very serious as majority of functional schools are without desks and normally one dual desk is for two students and more than 42 billion rupees are required to cope with this issue and in case such budget is increased, even then proper resolving of this issue will take three years time.

School Education and Literacy Department (SELD) told the court that department placed the concern before Chief Minister with regard to increase of budget allocation

Court ordered Chief Secretary, Secretary Schools and Finance Secretary to take special measures and submit a plan thereby assuring that issue stands redressed. “It is expected that they will provide desks to all schools within two years by increasing the fund allocation under relevant head in upcoming budget,” the court observed.

Meanwhile, the Meat Merchants Association approached the SHC seeking an increase in the rates of beef and mutton during the month of Ramazan.

In a petition, the president of the association, Nadeem Qureshi, stated that they can’t sell meat at old rates, suggesting that the price of veal meat be pushed up to Rs600 per kilogram while that of mutton to Rs1,100/kg.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021