Serving rural populace: Relief allowance for doctors withdrawn
Provincial govt states lack of funds, doctors deem violation of right.
RAWALPINDI:
The rural chapter of the Young Doctors Association YDA moved the high court on Wednesday after Punjab government withdrew the adhoc relief allowance paid to them.
Justice Saghir Ahmed Qadri of the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday heard the petition filed by YDA rural wing. They were challenging the withdrawal of 50 per cent adhoc relief on the basic salary of young doctors who work at far off rural health centres and basic health units.
“The provincial government issued an official letter on April 21, 2011 for withdrawal of the relief allowance just to blackmail and harass the doctors,” the petitioners’ lawyer Mian Muhammad Arshad Javed told the court.
Citing secretariat health Punjab, secretary finance Punjab, accountant general Punjab and district accounts officer Rawalpindi as respondents, the YDA prayed the court to direct the authorities to continue with the relief package.
Dr Raja Muhammad Imran, representing the young doctors, said that they are already drawing meagre salaries and the government had started paying the adhoc relief in May last year.
The doctors in the rural areas are not paid any transport allowance or any other relief. “The decision of the government to withdraw the package is discriminatory as the same relief is being paid in other departments,” he added.
The young doctors stationed in rural areas have not been receiving house rent and transport allowance despite the fact they have to travel a long distance to carry out their duties.
The petitioners added that the young doctors had been drawing Health Sector Reforms Allowance, worth Rs12000, every month since 2006, besides the adhoc relief for the last one year.
On the other hand, provincial government in its letter directed the district accounts officers to immediately stop the relief allowance.
“This irregular payment will invite employees of other departments who have not been considered for the same to agitate for this allowance,” the letter stated. Punjab government claimed that it would be “sheer discrimination” against others and it was not in a position to bear extra financial burden.
Moreover, the young doctors have expressed surprise on the huge advertisements released by Punjab government about the increase given to the doctors. They said it was surprising to note that on the one side the government had withdrawn the relief allowance and at the same time they were boasting of giving relief to the doctors.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 12th, 2011.
The rural chapter of the Young Doctors Association YDA moved the high court on Wednesday after Punjab government withdrew the adhoc relief allowance paid to them.
Justice Saghir Ahmed Qadri of the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday heard the petition filed by YDA rural wing. They were challenging the withdrawal of 50 per cent adhoc relief on the basic salary of young doctors who work at far off rural health centres and basic health units.
“The provincial government issued an official letter on April 21, 2011 for withdrawal of the relief allowance just to blackmail and harass the doctors,” the petitioners’ lawyer Mian Muhammad Arshad Javed told the court.
Citing secretariat health Punjab, secretary finance Punjab, accountant general Punjab and district accounts officer Rawalpindi as respondents, the YDA prayed the court to direct the authorities to continue with the relief package.
Dr Raja Muhammad Imran, representing the young doctors, said that they are already drawing meagre salaries and the government had started paying the adhoc relief in May last year.
The doctors in the rural areas are not paid any transport allowance or any other relief. “The decision of the government to withdraw the package is discriminatory as the same relief is being paid in other departments,” he added.
The young doctors stationed in rural areas have not been receiving house rent and transport allowance despite the fact they have to travel a long distance to carry out their duties.
The petitioners added that the young doctors had been drawing Health Sector Reforms Allowance, worth Rs12000, every month since 2006, besides the adhoc relief for the last one year.
On the other hand, provincial government in its letter directed the district accounts officers to immediately stop the relief allowance.
“This irregular payment will invite employees of other departments who have not been considered for the same to agitate for this allowance,” the letter stated. Punjab government claimed that it would be “sheer discrimination” against others and it was not in a position to bear extra financial burden.
Moreover, the young doctors have expressed surprise on the huge advertisements released by Punjab government about the increase given to the doctors. They said it was surprising to note that on the one side the government had withdrawn the relief allowance and at the same time they were boasting of giving relief to the doctors.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 12th, 2011.