AAP govt faces criticism over delay in teacher salaries

Ferozepur: Slamming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt in Punjab, Democratic Teachers Front president Vikram Dev Singh said that thousands of teachers in Punjab are waiting for their salaries due to the govt's budget shortfall. He said that on one hand, the govt is advertising about large scale reforms in education, while, on the other hand, the district authorities are not releasing the required budget for salaries to the DDOs (Drawing and Disbursing Officers). He said that teachers across Punjab are not getting their salaries on time because the budget was not allocated by the head office, and the district authorities always give the same answer: "The budget was not received from the headquarters."The leaders said that due to this unnecessary delay in salaries, teachers are facing serious difficulties in fulfilling their domestic needs, including being penalised for delays in payment of instalments of loans taken from banks, due to which they are suffering financial and mental stress. The DTF leaders alleged that the govt's priority is not the welfare of teachers, but only propaganda. They demanded that all pending budgets be released immediately and that teachers' salaries be paid. They also said that a firm and planned budget should be made so that such a situation does not arise again in the future.