TIMERGARA, Oct 7: Teachers in Lower Dir rejected an incentive package on Sunday claiming that the provincial government had reneged on its promise.

All Primary Teachers’ Association provincial vice-president Badshah Mehmood told Dawn that the primary school teachers had been neglected in the package announced by Chief Minister Akram Durrani a few days back.

He said the authorities concerned had assured teachers that those with third-division certificates would also benefit from the package.

However, he said, when the notification was issued, the condition of second division was made mandatory for promotion to the next grade.

Ittihad-e-Asatiza Dir Lower president Haji Khaleeq-ur-Rahman told Dawn that the provincial government had agreed to accept certain demands of teachers such as increase in area allowance, additional benefits on attaining higher qualifications, annual increments, abolishment of the second-division condition for promotion and granting grade 17 to all senior English teachers. But the notification ignored the demands, he said.

Meanwhile, All Teachers Association (ATA) Dir Lower president Mushtaqur Rehman said the government had tricked the teachers’ community and added that the package announced would not benefit all schools teachers.