FG contractual employees close to regularisation

FPSC to decide on regularisation of daily-wage teachers once lockdown ends

ISLAMABAD: The paperwork on the part of federal education ministry for regularisation of 555 Federal Government (FG) daily-wage teachers has been completed, it has been learnt.

The measure is being taken in light of the orders of Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The documents will be referred to the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) which will decide on regularisation of all contractual teachers.

Although documentation has been completed, the cases could not be submitted to the FPSC as it was closed after the lockdown situation. The federal education ministry officials said that the documents would be submitted as soon as the FPSC reopens.

As per the court’s directions, the commission would determine the eligibility of the contractual employees under FPSC rules regarding a candidate for a post.

Sources in the ministry said that the ministry’s Joint Secretary Umar Javed has also signed all proformas of daily-wage teachers as per the requirement of FPSC.

A total of 555 cases would be referred to the FPSC of which 303 hold Basic Pay Scale (BPS) 17 while remaining 252 hold BPS-16. All these teachers had been serving in the FG institutions for over a decade on contractual basis.

Earlier, IHC divisional bench had ordered the government in June 2008 to make all contractual teachers permanent. However, the government moved to the Supreme Court (SC) against the decision. But, the apex court turned down the government’s plea and upheld IHC’s decision in March 2019.

Nevertheless, the matter remained in mire of documentation for over a year even after the court’s orders.

Subsequently, the sources in FPSC told The Express Tribune that the ministry had regularised many teachers under the similar rules in the past as well. The commission would issue the direction to the education ministry to regularise daily-wage employees. However, FPSC officials have yet to choose either to check the eligibility of teachers through a test or interviews.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2020.