According to the assistant director of Family Planning Department here, eight posts of medical officers have been lying vacant for a long time in six upazila FP offices.

The upazilas are Kotiadi, Pakundia, Tarail, Austagram, Nikli and Hossenpur.

A medical officer in Bhairab upazila remained absent from her place of posting for the last one year greatly hampering the Family Planing activities in the aforesaid upazilas.

An FP visitor of Kotiadi upazila said, in absence of medical officers, the visitors and field workers are also neglecting their duties. As a result, hundreds of people are being deprived of service, he alleged.

It is also alleged that most of the medical officers are reluctant to stay at their place of posting, rather they like to stay in Dhaka or Mymensingh. They allegedly come to their places of posting for one or two days a week.

As for example, a medical officer joined the Bhairab FP office on March 25 in 2004. After staying at Bhairab for a day, he left for Dhaka and is staying there till now.

The employees of Bhairab FP office are not getting salaries for the last two months, it is alleged.

According to an official of Kishoreganj FP office, despite instruction to her to join office, she did not join it as yet.

Sources in the Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office told this correspondent, they sent a latter to the concerned authority to take necessary action in this regard.