THE National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) was established in 2002 through a presidential ordinance to reduce poverty and to promote human development by improving access to education and healthcare in marginalised areas. However, thousands of community teachers recruited under this initiative have spent years waiting for official promises regarding the regularisation of their services to be fulfilled.
Teachers in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) have reportedly been regularised. Meanwhile, teachers in Sindh receive Rs35,000 per month, while their counterparts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) receive Rs37,000 per month. Unfortunately, the salaries of NCHD teachers in Balochistan have not been increased accordingly. Currently, these teachers receive only Rs12,000 per month.
Moreover, even these meagre salaries are often paid extremely late, with payments sometimes being made only once every six months or even once a year. How can they make ends meet on such a small amount in a high-inflation environment? It is extremely difficult for teachers to meet their basic needs on such a limited income.
The government in Balochistan should take immediate notice of this situation, ensure timely salary payment, increase salaries in line with the rising cost of living, and address the long-standing demand of NCHD teachers for service regularisation.
Azhar Ali Rahoojo Larkana