Day 7: Protest against Torghar DEO continues
Goher Ali accused of using delaying tactics for promotions, taking bribes.
TORGHAR:
Schools in Torghar remained shut as teachers continued their sit-in outside the office of the district education officer (DEO) on Thursday, demanding his transfer.
The teachers, belonging to different government primary and middle schools, started their protest in Judba on Friday. Speakers at the gathering accused DEO Goher Ali of using delaying tactics for the promotion of teachers of different cadres. The teachers, whose service scales were revised upwards a few months back, were being asked to pay gratification for notification and payment of dues, they claim. They also accused Ali of accepting Rs5,000 each from 21 female teachers, while demanding the same amount from male teachers for signing their payslips. The DEO was even accused of discouraging educational activities in the newly-created district.
Speakers said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government has long been making claims of transparency, but the DEO of Torghar could not be transferred despite a seven-day long protest.
The teachers have vowed to continue their protest until the transfer of the DEO, notification of promotions, payment of pending salaries, and return of the bribes they claim the officer collected from some teachers. They also presented a charter of demands to Torghar Assistant Commissioner Akbar Khan, who assured them of taking up their complaints with higher authorities.
Meanwhile, Ali rejected the allegations and termed some of the teachers as ‘anti-educational elements’.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 11th, 2014.
Schools in Torghar remained shut as teachers continued their sit-in outside the office of the district education officer (DEO) on Thursday, demanding his transfer.
The teachers, belonging to different government primary and middle schools, started their protest in Judba on Friday. Speakers at the gathering accused DEO Goher Ali of using delaying tactics for the promotion of teachers of different cadres. The teachers, whose service scales were revised upwards a few months back, were being asked to pay gratification for notification and payment of dues, they claim. They also accused Ali of accepting Rs5,000 each from 21 female teachers, while demanding the same amount from male teachers for signing their payslips. The DEO was even accused of discouraging educational activities in the newly-created district.
Speakers said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government has long been making claims of transparency, but the DEO of Torghar could not be transferred despite a seven-day long protest.
The teachers have vowed to continue their protest until the transfer of the DEO, notification of promotions, payment of pending salaries, and return of the bribes they claim the officer collected from some teachers. They also presented a charter of demands to Torghar Assistant Commissioner Akbar Khan, who assured them of taking up their complaints with higher authorities.
Meanwhile, Ali rejected the allegations and termed some of the teachers as ‘anti-educational elements’.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 11th, 2014.