LARKANA: Hundreds of Primary School Teachers (PSTs) of Larkana Division, (each post of BPS-14), will remain without monthly salaries even during the current month after passage of 10 months.
It was learnt here on Wednesday after cries of the teachers who are constantly protesting for justice. These teachers were recruited on merit after test conducted by the IBA Sukkur and they were given offer letters by their respective political figures. Among them were 2400 were male and female teachers of Larkana some of them were offered letters by PPP MPA Faryal Talpur and they joined duties on 28th April 2022 after leaving other jobs in search of better future.
Not a single teacher among them have been so far paid their monthly salaries since the passage of 10 long months which has exposed the working of the Education Department in Sindh. Junior Elementary School Teachers (JESTs) appointed in July have been paid one-month salary last month but their previous period pay is still to be paid to them.
Gulsher Soomro, Director, Primary Education, Larkana Division, claimed that the appointed teachers will be paid salaries on 1st March but when he was asked to share data he said education secretary is out of the country due to which it would be delayed. He said transfer of Zamir Hussain Khoso, Director General, Human Resources, to parent department also multiplied the issues.
Credible sources at the District Accounts Office said that they will not disperse salaries as they have no standing orders from the higher authorities. Asked whether they have received FO-1 Form they said they cannot accept the same, hence dispersing salaries is impossible on 1st March. He said that 200 to 300 IDs can be opened in a month after the receipt of FO-1 Forms of the teachers.
Another sources at the DEO office clearly said that there are issues of PSTs serving in BPS-9 who are agitating to upgrade their posts from BPS-9 to 14 as they will become junior to the new teachers hence delayed salaries will be dispersed. Asked as to why their issue was not resolved before recruitment of BPS-14 teachers he remained mum but said it was for the higher authorities to consider their problem. He further said that joining database has not yet been signed by the education secretary.
The first phase teachers joined in April 2022, he added, but their data was sent to education department in February 2023 which also speaks high about the efficiency in the department. In this connection when Anees Rahman Jalbani, District Education Officer (Primary), Larkana, was contacted several times he refused to attend the call.