Punjab secretary finance Muhammad Tariq Bajwa here on Wednesday assured the Lahore High Court (LHC) that "Big City Allowance" would be provided to teachers of city district government Lahore schools within seven days.
Bajwa gave this assurance appearing before the court of Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed in connection with a contempt of court petition against non-implementation of big city allowance despite an order from the high court.
Secretary local government Khizar Hayat and secretary schools Aslam Kamboh also appeared in compliance of the court orders.
On previous hearing of the petition, the judge had taken strict notice of non-provision of the allowance to teachers and summoned the secretaries in person.
The judge, however, turned down the request for time and observed no more time could be allowed in a contempt of court case.
At this, the secretary finance undertook that the order of the court will be implemented within seven days and judge adjourned hearing till June 23.
Abdul Rasheed, senior headmaster at government high school Raiwind Road, filed contempt of court petition submitting that secretary local government and community development had issued a notification on June 29, 2005 with regard to provision of "Big City Allowance" to all teachers serving within the limits of city district government Lahore.
He said a single bench of the high court on November 14, 2008 accepting a writ petition had directed secretary finance to issue notification for the grant of the allowance. However, the secretary challenged that order through an intra court appeal but the same was dismissed.
Petitioner said the order of the single bench attained finality as no any other appeal was pending before high court or Supreme Court. Petitioner sought contempt of court proceedings against the respondent authorities for not complying with the court order.