Despite being crippled with polio and walking on clutches, thirty-five-year old Sajid Gul has struggled all his life to make ends meet on his own merit. It was this resolve that landed him a job as a clerk at a federal government school. But with no other means of income and having to feed a 10- member family, he was hit hard when the Federal Directorate of Education failed to provide him a salary for over 20 months.
Sajid and many other non-teaching staff members at the FDE who were appointed either on merit or the disability quota have been thrust into deep poverty after senior officials made around 250 bogus appointments at the directorate despite the number of sanctioned posts being 70 only. The FDE then moved files of the politically influential or those with contacts to the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR). Consequently, when the salaries for sanctioned posts were released by AGPR, they landed into the hands of those with references, while deserving people like Sajid were left out. They have been deprived of their salaries for around two years now, while the AGPR opines that it can only release salaries for the 70 sanctioned posts.
A teary-eyed Sajid sat outside the FDE headquarters, hoping to meet the chairperson. “I have knocked every door, but no one helps me. I am getting nothing at the end of the month,” he said. He has even taken out his three children from school, being unable to afford their expenses.
“Inflation has risen so much. How can an ordinary person survive without a salary?” he said somberly.
Like Sajid, a large number of people visited the FDE office on Monday, but it was a futile effort, even after a lapse of the two-day deadline given by the FDE chairperson to resolve their issues.
These lower grade workers were perturbed over the indifference of the authorities, particularly the director admin, saying that he restricted them from sitting in his office.
They also accused some employees of managing to get their salaries released by bribing the AGPR officials.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2011.
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