KARACHI, March 10: Sindh Education Minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat has agreed to send demands of Sindh Professors and Lecturers' Association with the recommendation of provincial education department to federal government.

These demands were made by a delegation of SPLA, led by Syed Riaz Ahsan, which called on the education minister at his office here on Wednesday. Secretary Ghulam Ali Shah, additional secretaries Karim Bakhsh Sarohi, Dr Noorul Haq and a deputy secretary finance department assisted the education minister in the meeting.

It was decided that the Teachers' Foundation would be reactivated for the welfare of teachers and the Teachers Academy would be activated for their training. Moreover, the health insurance scheme for teachers and loan facility would be given to teachers for purchase of car and construction of house.

The meeting agreed to take steps for release of lapsed money, reserved in term of purchase. Early release of money for seconded number of employees (SNE) out of Rs500 million education budget was also decided at the meeting.

Talking to the delegation, the education minister said that the government was taking every step to solve genuine problems of teachers. He informed the SPLA delegation that summary recommending promotions for teachers had been sent to higher authorities. He said that issuance of orders on these recommendations were expected within some days.

He assured the delegation that their genuine problems would be solved on priority basis. He pledged that he would raise their problems with finance minister and the chief minister. However, the minister categorically stated that action would be taken against teachers being politically exploited. -PPI