GUJRANWALA, Dec 2: The Punjab SES Teachers Association (PSESTA) has criticised the establishment of a monitoring cell in education department, terming it a parallel system and demanded its disbandment.

At a meeting held here on Saturday presided over by association district president Arif Hussain Mehar, the participants alleged that the government wanted to appease its aides following inducting retired people in education department.

They said the education system could not be improved by taking such steps. Instead the government should accept the longstanding issues of teaching allowance and other facilities.

They said the Punjab government had allocated billions of rupees for education in the budget but teachers were being deprived of teaching allowance. They said the prime minister had promised to pay teaching allowance to all teachers, but he failed to do so.

They demanded that teaching allowance should be paid to all teachers without any discrimination.

Meanwhile, the Punjab teachers union has announced holding of a protest meeting on Tuesday at government higher secondary school, Gujranwala.

KIDNAP BID FOILED: Some villagers foiled an attempt to kidnap a poultry farm owner for ransom in Pirkot, Ghakkhar Town on Saturday.

Reports said Ghulam Sarwar Warraich was on way to his farm from his house by a car (GAW-1739). On Pirkot Road, accused Maqbool, his son Shoaib and an unidentified person intercepted him and tried to kdinap him. In the meantime, some villagers reached there and raised an alarm on which the accused managed to escape. Ghakkhar police have registered a case against the accused.