The Punjab government has not released salaries of more than 50 lecturers and professors recently transferred and posted in various public colleges in the city for the past couple of months, making several families suffer in Ramadan, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The Punjab government recently lifted a ban on transfer and posting in the higher education department after a long time, which was followed by scores of transfers in different grades in various colleges across Punjab. But more than 50 of such lecturers in various disciplines recently transferred to different public colleges in Lahore are still awaiting salaries. This has caused a lot of inconvenience to lecturers who have to make both ends meet without their salaries. Many of them belong to other districts but are serving in Lahore.
A lecturer from Sheikhupura recently transferred to MAO College said, “It is preposterous that lecturers are not getting salaries especially during Ramadan when it is impossible to survive without money. I’ve already eaten up my savings and have no idea what happens next. I’m living in a rented apartment and left with no money even to pay for the rent. Education officials tell us to contact the finance department, which further directs us to the accounts department and it has been weeks that I’ve not gotten any positive development on it. The government should show some concern, as it is Ramadan.”
Another professor, seeking anonymity, said without getting salaries teachers remain unsatisfied and with monetary worries, he or she could not deliver to students. “It is cyclic. If the lecturer himself is burdened with monetary issues, how he will impart education to young minds? Teachers have families to take care of too and those at the helm of affairs need to understand it. It clearly shows the red tapism within the higher education department and the priority of the Punjab government,” he added.
Punjab Higher Education Secretary Haseeb Athar denied that funds were not being released saying, “How it is possible that salaries are not being given when funds to colleges are being released”. Another senior official, seeking anonymity, said only those lecturers and professors were not getting salaries who have been recently transferred and got manual pay bills. “Those having manual bills can only draw their salaries from the college concerned, which do not have budgets because the Director Public Instructions (DPI) is doing the spadework to distribute post-budget finances to colleges across Punjab. It is the duty of the accountant general office to issue computerised slips to all employees so that salary disbursement is not discontinued,” the official added.
