UMERKOT: Strict departmental action has been started on the orders of Sindh minister for education against primary and secondary teachers in the district, who have consistently been absent from their duties.

Official sources disclosed to Dawn on Monday that biometric chief monitoring officer had identified 3,332 teachers across Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions, who had been declared absentees. Their salaries had been suspended and they had been issued show-cause notices,said the sources.

They said that the absentee teachers included those from both primary and secondary school sections.

Among them, 712 teachers belonged to the minister`s home district, Umerkot, said the sources.

In response, the divisional director of education initiated an investigation in Umerkot and in the first phase, 50 secondary and 150 primary teachers had been served show-cause notices, while District Education Officer Inayat Kunbhar had summoned the absentee teachers to his office, they said.

Divisional Deputy Director of Education Jameel Qureshi had also arrived in Umerkot to oversee thescrutiny process while a notification had been issued to block salary IDs of absentee teachers, said the sources.

As per the biometric department`s report, there were 618 absentee teachers in Umerkot, 399 in Tharparkar, 82 in Mirpurkhas, 986 in Sanghar, 187 in Shaheed Benazirabad and 79 in Naushahro Feroze districts` primary section, and in secondary section, there were 94 absentees in Umerkot, 167 in Tharparkar, and 55 in Mirpurkhas.

The chief monitoring officer had sent lists of absentee teachers to the directors of educationinMirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions for further action.