128 teachers get incentive package after eight years

On the orders of the Ombudsman Punjab, Khalid Mehmood, EDO (Education) Mandi Bahauddin paid an amount of Rs 2.39 million to 128 best teachers, on account of incentive package for schoolteachers after 8 years while a number of deserving teachers amongst them are availing their retirement on superannuation.
According to details, a secondary schoolteacher of district Mandi Bahauddin submitted a complaint through Abdur Razzaq, retired teacher, Government Higher Secondary School, Qadir Abad, stating that Punjab Government announced an Incentive Package Scheme for the teachers standing first, second and third in the district as well as tehsil to be awarded cash prizes and commendation certificates. Such lists of the best teachers for the year 2003 were prepared and handed over to Bashir Ahmad Gujjar, the then EDO (Secondary), for onward submission to DPI office but he wilfully did not take action on the recommendation list and kept it in his custody. Similarly, such lists were prepared in 2004, 2005 and 2006 but the concerned Education Officers intentionally did not move, resultantly deserving teachers were deprived of cash awards and commendation certificates. Ombudsman Punjab, Khalid Mehmood, directed consultant Ombudsman Office, Raza Mehdi, to probe the matter. The Inquiry Officer sought a report from EDO Mandi Bahauddin to explain as to why and under whom directions, the best teachers, entitled for the awards, were deprived of cash amount and commendation certificates. During the course of inquiry, it was revealed that the slackness of Officers of Education Department and bad governance in the department deprived of the best teachers from their awards although they expressed up to the mark performance in the field of school education. Punjab Government in good faith initiated the Incentive Package Scheme but due to the bad governance of the concerned Officers of Education Department, the best teachers were not given their due right, they not only did not forward the lists to the authorised officers for approval but also did nothing for the budgetary allocation under relevant head of account.