TIMERGARA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Finance Muzafar Syed on Saturday said the PTI-led government had taken measures to bring uniformity in the education sector with a view to improving standard.

He was addressing a parents day function at a private school here as the chief guest.

Position holding students were awarded medals, trophies and certificates. The students presented tableaus, speeches, naat and songs, and earned appreciation of the audience.

Mr Syed asked the students to take advantage of the modern technology in the field of science and research. The minister urged the private educational institutions to avoid commercialism and support the government’s move to improve quality of education.

The minister said thousands of teachers were recruited in the state-run school during the last two years to overcome teachers’ shortage.

He said the people’s longstanding demand to have a medical college in Timergara would soon be realised as the project had been approved by the chief minister and Rs450 million had been released for it. He said Rs580 million was being spent on provision of basic facilities in Dir schools.

Mr Syed said development projects worth of Rs440 million had been completed in Lower Dir with the financial assistance of the European Union.

The minister said that Rescue Service 1122 had been approved for Dir, adding services of special police officials had been extended for more three years for the purpose of maintaining peace in the district.

The minister announced Rs100,000 grant for the school.

ALLOWANCE DEMANDED: The all secondary school teachers association, Lower Dir chapter, on Saturday warned to observe class boycott and come onto the roads if the government failed to implement its decision of awarding compensatory allowance to the deserving teachers.

The decision was made at a meeting chaired by the body’s president Muhibullah.

The participants said the KP government had notified compensatory allowance for teachers four days ago but the finance department de-notified it. They said the finance department wanted to pitch the teachers’ community against the government. They demanded grade 17 for all SST teachers in the province.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2017