HED Quality Assurance Cell staff going unpaid

PESHAWAR: The officials of the Quality Assurance Cell of the Higher Education Department (HED), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are concerned over the non-release of salaries and the amount for utility bills of the office for the last 10 months, urging the quarters concerned to issue funds to end their mental agonies and financial problems.

An official of the cell told The News the staff members of the office were neither released monthly salaries nor a single penny to pay the long-standing house rent, electricity, gas, telephone and other utility bills, paralyzing the activities of the office.

The officials said they were fed up with what they said was a cold shoulder response on the part of the government and high-ups of the department, and decided to go on a pen-down strike till the resolution of the problems.

Head of the office Prof Dr Shafiqur Rahman said as project director he felt that he had failed to protect the legitimate rights of his staff. “There is nothing personal against anyone but our salaries, mental peace and motivation take priority over our work. I once again request the secretary and minister for HED to intervene and pull this office out of the crises,” he said.