RAWALPINDI: After waiting for over eight months, the college teaching interns on Wednesday got the good news that the Punjab government has released funds for their salaries.

“Today, the Higher Education Department of Punjab informed me that funds have been transferred to the District Accounts Office Rawalpindi.

After fulfilling minor formalities in a few days, the interns would be paid their salaries,” said Professor Humuyun Iqbal, the director colleges Rawalpindi.

He said through an email all the college principals had been informed about the development.

In September last year, the Higher Education Department Punjab hired hundreds of fresh graduates for a period of nine months as teaching interns to fill the vacant posts.

They were appointed against Rs15,000 per month salary. Under the programme, 191 teachers were appointed for the colleges in Rawalpindi.

“Today, I’m happy but can’t forget those eight months when I literally had to beg loans from my colleagues to run my house,” said a young teacher.

He said when he joined the college expectations of his family were very high.

But when at the end of every month I returned home without the salary, my family members started questioning my wisdom and the worth of my degrees.”

Another teacher told Dawn: “After hearing the good news, we are excited as finally the government is going to pay us our stuck-up salaries. After getting my dues, I’ll purchase some gifts for my mother who has been waiting for my first salary since September.”

The director colleges added. “We are very much impressed and satisfied with the performance of these interns. They worked dedicatedly and produced excellent results.”

Speaking to Dawn, a number of principals requested the Punjab government to ensure that there was no delay in the payment of salaries to these interns in future.

“This is a sheer injustice as these qualified teachers had to wait for eight months for getting their salaries,” said a principal who requested not to be named.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2014