Inflation surge strains public servants

RAWALPINDI:

The All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) has strongly condemned the continuous rise in electricity, gas, petrol, and other essential commodity prices, stating that daily inflation has severely strained government employees.

APCA leaders said the surge in petrol prices from around Rs60 per litre to Rs400 has rendered existing conveyance allowance, even less than Rs100, unrealistic.

They argued that while fuel costs have escalated sharply, transport allowances remain unchanged, demanding an increase to at least Rs12,000 per month in line with current expenses.

They further called for the restoration and revision of pension, gratuity, leave encashment, group insurance, disparity reduction allowance, and recruitment policies.

The leaders also demanded an end to the abolition of vacant posts and contract-based hiring, urging regular appointments on merit.

The association criticised the discontinuation of pension transfers to orphaned and unmarried daughters, and the removal of recruitment quotas for orphans, describing these measures as unjust.

APCA representatives alleged that provincial government employees, despite being among the highest taxpayers, are being financially marginalised.

They urged authorities to reduce privileges enjoyed by legislators and non-elected officials instead of further burdening salaried workers.

They appealed to the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Punjab to withdraw recent notifications reducing pension and gratuity benefits, and to ensure equal distribution of allowances, including the 30 per cent disparity reduction allowance, across all federal and provincial employees.

The leaders also demanded that ad hoc relief be merged into basic pay, pay scales be revised, and allowances such as medical, conveyance, and house rent be increased in line with inflation.

They emphasised that restoring merit-based recruitment and ensuring financial relief had become essential in the prevailing economic conditions.