Pakistan: More than 600 women teachers denied salaries since two years in Muzaffargarh

Image courtesy: ANI

Muzaffargarh: As many as 650 women teachers of the Punjab Literacy Department have been denied their salaries for the last two years. More than 600 women teachers of the Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) and the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) schools in the district are facing a financial crunch as they have been denied their salaries for the last two years, reported Dawn. The teachers in Punjab said that they were facing apathy from the government. They said they had to work hard to maintain their families and faced travelling and other issues.

Azra Bibi said she had to travel a good 2 km distance for the non-formal school she works for and had not been paid a penny for two years. She said she did groceries from a shop on the promise of delayed payment and was unable to clear the debt. 

She is also struggling to pay her utility bills due to the financial crunch. She said many teachers went to Lahore and Islamabad for a protest last year but the government officials placated them with empty promises, reported Dawn.

The teachers said they had to work very hard and convince people to send their children to schools. They said Rs 9,000 salary per month was not enough in times of back-breaking inflation and it was a mockery of the profession. Shamim Bibi said she was a graduate and took permission from her parents to do the job. She said her husband had asked her to leave the job which had no salary or other benefit. 

The Punjab government had allocated Rs 1.613 billion for such schools in 2021-2022 but the amount has not been utilized, leaving the teachers high and dry. The teachers allege that Secretary Literacy Wajihuddin Kundi has not helped them, reported Dawn. Others claimed that the teachers of non-formal schools in Sindh and KP were not only regularly getting salaries every month but also given a raise.

A literacy official said there were more than 7,000 women teaching in these schools across Punjab and the higher-ups had okayed payment of salaries to them after checking their attendance; however, salaries have yet not been credited to them. 

A source said the Council of Common Interests (CCI) handed over the BECS and NCHD schools being run by the federal government to the provincial government back in 2020 but since then, the teachers had been facing financial problems, reported Dawn.

The teachers have requested Chief Minister Parvez Elahi to release their salaries with a raise and regularise their jobs so that they could perform their duties with peace of mind. They have also appealed to the Supreme Court chief justice to take notice of their plight.