RAWALPINDI, March 22: The leaders of the Punjab Teachers’ Union (PTU) have accused the authorities concerned of being indifferent towards the teachers’ demands.

They were speaking at an oath-taking ceremony of the office- bearers of the Punjab Teachers’ Union. The president of PML-Z, Ijazul Haq, was the chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion, the newly-elected office-bearers demanded abolishment of the prevailing difference between teachers of the federal and provincial governments. They said house rent being paid at the rate of 1994 scales should be revised according to the present grades.

Keeping in view the hike in prices, conveyance allowance be raised accordingly and be applied to the teachers of the rural areas as well. All the contractual teachers be regularized and the difference in scales of the same cadre be abolished, they said.

The teachers also demanded that their children be given scholarships and a specific quota be reserved for them in jobs, especially in educational institutions. They said several posts in the women education directorate were lying vacant for the last several years and demanded that they be filled immediately. Similarly, many posts of science teachers were lying vacant in almost all schools, they said.

They also asked the authorities concerned to provide them interest-free loans for buying motorcycles and building houses. They should also be given house requisition rights as allowed to the teachers of the federal government institutions, they demanded.

Meanwhile, in his welcome speech, the local president of the Punjab Teachers Union, Imtiaz Abbasi, presented a long list of problems being faced by the teachers.

He said the teachers complained about low salaries, slow promotion and ad hocism in the education department of the Punjab government.

Speaking on the occasion, the PML-Z president, Ijazul Haq, assured the union leaders that he would take up all these issues with the federal and provincial governments. He said the teachers were the builders of the nation and they needed to be treated accordingly.

“Teachers play an important role in nation-building and grooming of the coming generation,” he said.