85% raise in salaries of Punjab Higher Education Commission officers, staff proposed

A proposal has been floated to increase the monthly salaries of officers and employees of Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) by 75 to 85 percent, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.

After the increase in the frozen salaries from 2017, the monthly salary of the director will reach about Rs700,000.

The salary of the director general will be Rs647,000.

The salaries of other senior officials will be Rs400,000 to Rs600,000 per month.

This increase will put a burden of Rs280 million to Rs300 million annually on only 114 employees.

The provincial government's education, health and infrastructure projects are already suffering from a shortage of funds.

The proposal is being advanced without the approval of the finance department and the higher education department.

The finance department had already stopped the additional salaries as they were in conflict with the rules.

The employees of PHEC were already are getting higher salaries. 

Employees are getting 150-liter fuel allowance, medical facilities, and 20 percent annual increment. 

These benefits are much higher than the basic pay scale and salaries of provincial bureaucrats.

Reporter: Imran Younas