Punjab abolishes 3,400 college posts

Crisis deepens as permanent teaching and library positions eliminated

RAWALPINDI:

The negative effects of Punjab's severe financial crisis continue as, after abolishing 150,000 posts in government institutions, authorities have now eliminated 3,400 permanent positions of professors, lecturers, librarians, and clerks across 700 colleges.

Additionally, 75 colleges, including government technical institutions, have been placed on the privatisation list and approved for transfer to the private sector, with sales expected within the current year.

Vacant positions will be filled through daily-wage hiring on lump-sum salaries, renewable every nine months. Primary-level teachers will receive Rs35,000, middle-level Rs40,000, secondary-level Rs45,000 to Rs50,000, while lecturers and professors will be paid Rs55,000 monthly.

School teachers will be designated as school internees, and college teachers as college internees.

Retired teachers and lecturers may also be recruited for these positions.

The Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association and Librarians Association strongly condemned the abolition of posts, warning it would destroy the academic system. They demanded immediate recruitment on approximately 10,000 vacant posts, stating that continued reductions would severely impact teaching standards and devastate libraries.