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FAISALABAD, Dec 23: Over 40,000 students (girls and boys) of local colleges are suffering for want of teachers in vital subjects despite 130 posts of professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers have been lying vacant for the last two to five years.
Posts of one professor, 21 associate professors, 49 assistant professors and 25 lecturers are vacant in the male colleges while in female colleges, one vice-principal, five associate professors, 13 assistant professors and 15 posts of lecturers are unfilled.
Teachers — mainly of English, physics, chemistry, mathematics, statistics and computer subjects are not available in educational institutions. Two colleges in the district are being run without the principals.
Officials of the EDO (Colleges) on the conditions of anonymity told Dawn that the provincial government had been moved repeatedly for the fulfilment of vacant posts, but all efforts proved an exercise in futility due to the negligence of functionaries concerned. The district government was also informed repeatedly to fill the vacant posts, but to no avail.
They said the provincial government was giving the stereo type reply to the Education Department that the matter had already been referred to the Punjab Public Service Commission.
Sources revealed that the provincial government in its recent directive had informed the authorities concerned that the Boards of Governors set up in different colleges would decide the fate of vacant posts.
Majority of students had left with no option but to join private tuition centres to complete their studies in different subjects, they claimed.
DISTRICT NAZIM: A comprehensive plan is being implemented on the direction of the provincial government for providing better facilities to growers so that they can get maximum production of their crops.
This was stated by District Nazim Zahid Nazir while talking to newsmen here on Sunday.
He said the decrease in the mark up rate on agriculture loans and the decision to make pucca water courses in large number were the steps which would help agriculture sector and strengthen the national economy.
The four per cent decrease in the mark up rate would benefit the farmers and they could get fertilizers, insecticides and other agricultural inputs on easy terms, he said.
Directions, he said, had already been issued to the EDO (Agriculture) to keep a close liaison with the Punjab Bank with a view to ensuring the provision of these facilities to farmers.
Instructions have also been issued to the authorities concerned for completing farm-to-market roads within the stipulated period for providing better communication facilities to growers, he said.
The district Nazim said that no incentives would be provided to growers of cash crops so that they could play a pivotal role in putting the economy on the path of progress.
The Punjab government had already directed the district governments to pay special attention for resolving the problems faced by tillers, he concluded.
