MANSEHRA: The authorities have suspended the head teacher of government primary school Naran for renting out the school building to tourists for earning money.

District Education Officer Gohir Ali told journalists that the head teacher confessed that he was renting out the schoolrooms to tourists. Several other teachers and clerks, who were found absent from duty during the surprise visit of DEO to different schools in Kaghan valley, were also suspended.

Mr Ali said that government primary school Naran was reconstructed by United Sates Agency for International development (USAID) after it was destroyed in October 8, 2005 devastating earthquake.

The rooms of the schools had been rented out to tourists for the last many years, the DEO said. `I also recovered beds fromtwo rooms of the start-of-art building of the school as the rooms were given on rent to tourists,` he added.

Mr Ali said that a notice was served on head teacher Mohammad Siddique for removal from service and the case was sent to higher authorities for further action. He said that he paid a surprise visit to the school after he was informed by the parents of students about the illegal practices being carried out by the head teacher.

The DEO said that the teacher also embezzled fund of parent teacher association, meant for welfare of schoolchildren and necessary repair work at the school.

Mr Ali said that three teachers and a clerk of government high school Kaghan were also suspended as they were found absent from duty during a surprise visit to the school.

He said that a clerk government high school Naran was also suspended for absenteelsm. `Nobody is above the law,` he said, adding no one would be allowed to play with the future of students.

FOREST OWNERS: Hazara Forest Owners Association has threatened tolaunch agitation against the government if it fails to lift the recently imposed ban on wood cutting.

In this connection a meeting was held here on Thursday with president of the association Shahzada Gustasip Khan in the chair.

The meeting was attended by forest owners of Mansehra, Abbottabad, Kohistan and Battagram districts.

`It is an injustice with the owners whose cut wood is dumped in the forests since government has imposed a ban on it recently,` Mr Khan told the meeting.

He said that under woodlot policy an owner could cut every fourth tree in his forest. However, they were deprived of the benefit after a ban was imposed on cutting of trees. He said that the ban should be lifted immediately.

Mr Khan said that although the government owned only four per cent forests in the province yet it was making policies without consulting the owners, who owned almost 96 per cent forests.The meeting also formed a committee to discuss the issue with chief minister, forests minister and forests secretary.Correspondent