February 28, 2008	Thursday	Safar 20 ,1429

RAWALPINDI, Feb 27: College lecturers and professors in Rawalpindi have criticised the government decision of enhancing the monthly deduction from their salaries under the benevolent fund, and increasing the percentage of marks necessary for their children to get scholarships after matriculation.

The Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association (PPLA) in a press release called upon the government to reverse the decision that had increased the monthly BF deduction from two percent to three percent of their basic salary since October 1. They also criticised the government for enhancing the marks required for their children to get a scholarship of Rs12,000 from 50 per cent to 60 per cent.

In a letter written to the governor and chief secretary Punjab on February 20, the PPLA office-bearers had demanded the government to withdraw both the decisions.

Talking to Dawn, PPLA Rawalpindi chapter president Ilyas Qureshi said only one percent BF was deducted from the basic salary of federal government employees while the Punjab government had increased it from two to three percent. He said no notification was issued in this regard and it was advertised only in a Lahore-based newspaper.

The BF, according to law, is primarily used to award scholarship to the children of government servants after they pass their matriculation.

Under the new requirement, it would be harder for the students to qualify for the scholarship, he said. “It is our own money and to spend it for our welfare tough conditions have been made,” he deplored.— A Reporter