GILGIT, May 15: The Gilgit-Baltistan government has promoted 3,400 teachers in next grades fulfilling their longstanding demand, senior officials told Dawn on Sunday.

“The chief minister has approved the summary promoting those teachers to higher scales who fulfilled the criteria of promotion”, Secretary Education, Syed Hadi Hussain, told Dawn. He said those serving in BPS-9 would be promoted to BS-14 and BS-14 to BS-16.

The secretary education said the promotions were made in accordance with the criteria adopted in rest of the country. The formal notifications of these promotions will be issued from Monday onward, the official said.

Another official said the process of promotion was done keeping in view the financial health of the finance department so that there was no problem in payment of salaries to the teachers.

The associations of teachers in the region have thanked the government for meeting their longstanding demand. They said the step would encourage them to work wholeheartedly.

In various statements they pledged to improve the education system and focus on their duties.

COMPETITIVE EXAMS:

The Federal Public Service Commission is holding examinations for inductions against the positions of section officers, assistant commissioners, project managers of local government and tehsildars from Monday.

Official sources said more than 4,200 applicants had been issued roll number slips.

The officials said it was encouraging that a considerable number of female applicants were among those issued slips for taking part in the competitive examination.

The officials said the examination would continue till May 19 and there would be two shifts daily.

The official sources said that 14 examination centres had been set up throughout the region and adequate security arrangements made to hold the examination in a peaceful and transparent manner.