CHAKWAL, Aug 15: Strange is the governance in Punjab. The Punjab government had recruited 1,303 teachers in Chakwal district in April along with other districts. But after five months it did not provide an additional budget to district government under the head of salary.

Five months have passed but the newly recruited teachers of Chakwal district are still waiting for their first pay.

Teachers of Chakwal district are the sole victims of incompetence by the government of Punjab as teachers of other districts did not face such kind of problem sand they are getting their pay regularly since the month of May.

Dawn has learnt through credible sources that District Government has no budget to pay salaries.

Talking to Dawn, the salary-less educationist said that they were left high and dry.

In April, 1,303 teachers, males and females were recruited by the Punjab Government in BPS 9, 14 and 16.

Most of them were those who left their jobs earlier for the sake of better prospects. But as they did not get their maiden pay, life has become too hard for them.

“I spent two hundred daily only on rent as the school where I teach is 80km away from my village”, moans one despondent teacher.

The newly appointed teachers are performing their duties in a tough condition.

“I’m the sole bread earner of my family and I left a private job just with the thinking that a government job would promise a bright future for me but now life has become very hard for me and my family as we are living from hand to mouth”, cries another teacher who left a private job where he was getting 18,000 regularly.

“I have taken a loan of Rs50,000 which I have to pay back but I still see no ray of hope. My family is highly disturbed”, frets another teacher who left a job in the police force for the sake of teaching and making a difference.

“In my previous job I was drawing Rs27,000 but I wanted to be a teacher that’s why I joined education department, after completing my studies”, he informed.

“I just want to ask one question from the chief minister. When teachers of other districts are getting their pay why are we being denied”, asks a female teacher.

The teachers appealed to the chief minister for the issuance of their pay of five months before Eid. They are of the view that they and their families would not be able to celebrate Eid if their salary is not released on time.

When contacted, District Coordination Officer (DCO) Ahmad Aziz Tarar confirmed that there was severe financial crunch in the district.

“For last couple of years the district was facing a severe financial crunch”, he said. The DCO further told that he asked higher authorities for provision of additional budget to pay the salaries to newly recruited teachers but to no avail.

“We had to make recruitments according to plan but the budgetary constraints were not removed”, he added.

However, the DCO vowed that the salary of teachers would be released before Eid but in installments.

“I have directed District Account Officer to bring all teachers on to the payroll and we would release their salary as soon as possible. The rest would be given in arrears”, he revealed.