KARACHI, May 22: The Sindh Professors and Lecturers’ Association has demanded 100 per cent increase in the pay and allowances of the teachers in view of ever increasing prices of daily-use items.

The demand was made in a meeting of high-powered committee of SPLA presided over by Prof Riaz Ahsan on Monday.

The committee welcomed prime minister's statement on enhancing the pay of the teachers. However, it demanded payment of house rent allowance 60 per cent of the basic pay and the medical allowance 30 per cent of the basic pay.

The SPLA committee suggested appointment of panels of doctors and hospitals for extending health cover to the teachers and their dependents. It further demanded restoration of recreational allowance making it equivalent to one-month-salary, provision of funds to the colleges for the procurement of scientific equipment, chemicals, books, journals, development funds and making allocations for payment of utility bills etc.

Demanding launch of training programmes for the principals and lecturers of the colleges, the committee stressed on introducing new subjects keeping in view the modern day requirements.

The SPLA committee called for approval and filling of vacancies of non-teaching staff at the colleges, allocating five percent of GDP for education and spending Rs82 billion collected under Iqra Surcharge on education sector. –PPI