Compliance: Secy pledges Big City Allowance for teachers

Judge refuses to give more time for implementation of court order.

LAHORE:

Secretary Muhammad Tariq Bajwa on Wednesday undertook before the Lahore High Court (LHC) that Big City Allowance will be notified for teachers of city district government Lahore (CDGL) schools within one week.

Bajwa gave this assurance appearing before the court of Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed in connection with a contempt of court petition against the non implementation of the allowance despite an order from the LHC.

Local Government Secretary Khizar Hayat and Schools Secretary Aslam Kamboh also appeared in court.

On the previous hearing of the petition, Justice Saeed had taken strict notice of the non provision of the allowance to teachers and summoned the secretaries in person. On Wednesday, the secretaries sought time from the court submitting that the implementation of the allowance will require some time.

The judge, however, turned down the request and observed that more time could not be allowed in a contempt of court case. At this Bajwa undertook to implement the order within seven days. After this assurance the judge adjourned hearing till June 23.

Abdul Rasheed, senior headmaster at Government High School Raiwind Road, had filed a contempt of court petition submitting that the local government and community development secretary had issued a notification on June 29, 2005 with regard to provision of big city allowance to all teachers serving within the limits of the CDGL.

He said on Nov 14, 2008 a single bench of the High Court had directed the finance secretary to issue the notification for the grant of the allowance. The secretary challenged that order through an intra court appeal which was dismissed.

The petitioner said no appeal was now pending before High Court or Supreme Court.

He sought proceedings under contempt of court law against the respondent authorities



Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2011.