Teaching, Non-teaching Staff Demand Enhanced Remuneration, Better Transport Arrangement For Election Duty

Around 5900 teaching and non-teaching staff from different educational institutions under Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) after receiving training to perform election duties demanded of the concerned authorities to enhance remuneration and ensure better transport arrangements and placement in the colleges in their respective areas

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jul, 2018 ) :Around 5900 teaching and non-teaching staff from different educational institutions under Federal Directorate of education (FDE) after receiving training to perform election duties demanded of the concerned authorities to enhance remuneration and ensure better transport arrangements and placement in the colleges in their respective areas.

According to an official source in FDE, around 5900 teaching and non-teaching staff was sent to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by the directorate for getting two-day training to perform duties at polling stations in different schools and colleges of federal capital.

Professor Shahid Chaudhry, Lecturer at H-9 College and Press Secretary of Federal Professors and Lecturers Association (FPLA) said the teaching and non-teaching staff has spent their two days in election training and they have to rush to the ECP before the day of election also for collection of election material.

Talking to APP on Monday, Professor Shahid Chaudhry who will perform election duty as Presiding officer said, the Presiding and Assistant Presiding Officers will have to stay on duty there till submission of results to ECP on polling day while standing in huge lines.

The remuneration to be given to the teachers for this four-day exercise is Rs. 6000 for Presiding Officer, Rs. 4500 for Assistant Presiding Officer and Rs. 3500 for Polling Officer which is even lesser than the TA/DA we get for any special duty and must be enhanced, he said.

"We have demanded of the concerned authorities to assign duty of Polling Officer to female teaching staff so that they can move to their homes at least till 8:00 pm on election day", he said.

Another Professor who is also performing election duty termed inclusion of retired professors' Names in the list for election duties prepared by FDE ridiculous and said, "This is the height of mismanagement and FDE has not done proper homework this time".

He said, "My wife is also professor and we husband and wife are assigned election duty at the same time which is against the rules. Who will take care of our two daughters, if we both will be out of home?" "Due to my personal `PR' in the directorate, I have somehow managed to exempt my wife from election duty but what the others will do", he lamented.

The teachers' especially female ones are also facing issues regarding their placement at polling stations far from their residence. Those who come from Bhara Kahu and other distant areas to Islamabad will have to perform duty till night and are concerned about their return to home and availability of transport.

A female teacher living in Humak, Model Town, said, "I have to rush to a college in Islamabad to perform election duty which is near to the college where I am employed".

She said, "It will be difficult for me to manage election duty till late hours as my maid only stays with my children at home till 5 pm. I am also worried, if I will be provided with some transport to rush to home at that time or not."