400 literacy teachers yet to receive 6-month pay

Around 400 female teachers of Literacy Centres in Rawalpindi district have not been paid their salaries for the last six months or so, raising fingers at the poor financial management of the PML-N government in Punjab. The picture in other districts of the province isn’t different as 14,400 teachers across the province are facing the same fate.

The non-payments have spoiled the celebrations of teachers and their families for the upcoming Eidul Fitr. These educated teachers get a mere Rs8,000 per month.

Teachers in Rawalpindi lodged a peaceful protest at the Literacy Department for the release of their salaries and submitted applications to the District Literacy Officer but none of the teachers were paid.

According to the protesting teachers, the department has been stopping their salaries for the last six months even though annual examinations have been completed and new classes have begun. They have warned of closing all literacy centres if they are not paid before Eid.

Officials in the Literacy Department claim Punjab is suffering from a severe financial crunch and the department could pay salaries as soon as the provincial government releases the funds.

The Executive Director of Parha Likha Pakistan Programme, Ejaz Hussain Shah confirmed the non-payment of salaries and said that if the government couldn’t pay salaries owing to the financial crisis, then come up with a permanent solution to this problem.

A female teacher, F Begum complains that the teachers are being humiliated in terms of wages. “The minimum wage of the Punjab government is fixed at Rs32,000 but the Literacy Department openly violates this and pays only Rs8,000 salary.”

Terming it a cruel act, she suggested an audit of the Literacy Department. Ms Begum says if the Punjab Chief Minister is a woman, she should stop this oppression of women teachers and ensure the minimum salary of Rs32,000 with timely disbursement.

“Our families have finally come across starvation in these months and are forced to break their fast with salt or water. We do not have money for kids’ shopping for Eid. Our debt has swelled.”

The teacher appealed to CM Maryam Nawaz to take immediate notice and visit any of the literacy centres to listen to the plight of women teachers.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2024.