‘Withdrawing facilities is how Punjab govt pays ‘salam’ to teachers’

The Punjab government said `Salam Teacher’ by withdrawing their facilities they got after a struggle of 30 years.
The Punjab Subject Specialists Association President, Rana Atta Muhammad while talking to agencies on Sunday, said that this was the tactic used by the rulers of Punjab to “honor” the teachers.
Demanding benefits like a raise in conveyance allowance, TA DA and retirement benefits which would be similar to that of other employees in the provincial budget, he said, “Fee concession for children of teachers and their quota in jobs and educational institutions have been withdrawn with one stoke of the pen in Punjab”. The same facilities were available in other provinces and such discrimination was initiated by the Punjab government only, he said.
Muhammad said that facilities were available even in dictatorial rule and then government started `Salam Teacher’ day to respect the teachers community but a democratic government had taken steps contrary to their claims of working for the “respect of teachers”.
All Pakistan Teachers Federation Chairman, Azam said that the teachers had been barred from getting accommodation in official residences which was a move to keep the teachers away from the localities of other government employees.
This gesture was being given just to show that the teachers were inferior as compared to other government employees, he said. The chairman said that those nations which did not respect their teachers could not get a respectable place in the comity of nations.
He demanded the government to immediately restore the facilities which were promised to the teachers.
If the teachers decided to launch a protest movement, the provincial government would not be able to bear its burden, he added.