LAHORE, June 1: The Punjab government officers and officials on Friday rejected an increase in salaries by the federal government in its budget.

They said the increase was too little to provide any relief especially to low-grade employees crushed under the skyrocketing inflation. The provincial government must announce at least 50 per cent increase in the salaries of junior grade employees.

Punjab PMS Officers Welfare Association President Rai Manzoor Nasir said the increase was inadequate, and must have been more especially for the employees in BS-1 to 16 because they were surviving merely on their meagre salaries.

He said it was unfair to announce an across the board increase in the salaries of all government officials. Bureaucrats in higher grades were already enjoying perks and privileges which were much more than their salaries in majority cases. These were the employees in BS-I to 16 who were surviving without any perks or overtime.

He said such low-grade employees were forced to perform extra without any overtime, and they were not able to take part-time jobs due to their unlimited working hours.

Therefore, he said, the Punjab government must announce at least 50 per cent increase in the salaries of its low-grade employees so as to provide them with much required relief against inflation.

Punjab Low Grade Employees Coordination Council Chairman Ghulam Mustafa Butt and Pervaiz Akhtar Awan also rejected the increase. They criticised the federal finance secretary for not honouring his commitment with the council regarding an increase of 35 per cent to 50 per cent in salaries.

They said 20 per cent increase was just peanuts as against the phenomenal rise in the cost of living. The low-grade employees were especially crushed under the inflation and they deserved a better treatment.

They urged the Punjab government to announce at least 50 per cent increase in their salaries by diverting funds of unnecessary schemes.