ISLAMABAD: Teaching and non-teaching staff of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE)-run schools on Thursday gave a deadline of 10 days to the government for making an amendment to the local government ordinance otherwise educational activities will be suspended from January 10 for an indefinite period.

On the other hand, thousands of CDA employees are also protesting against the ordinance.

However, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Ali Nawaz Awan told Dawn on Thursday that the ordinance was not a final document rather when it would be placed before parliament for becoming an Act all legitimate concerns of the teachers, employees of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and others would be removed.

Addressing a press conference, representatives of the action committee headed by Fazal-i-Mola said teachers through their protest and one week’s boycott of classes had attempted to make the government realise that clause 166 of Local Government Ordinance 2021 was not acceptable to the employees of educational institutions.

Say if section 166 is not removed from ordinance, educational activities in capital will be suspended from Jan 10

However, he said, the government and its ministers were still unmoved.

“Therefore, 10 days are being given to the government to remove section 166 from the ordinance otherwise all schools will be closed from January 10.”

Under section 166, the director general of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) will report to the mayor, meaning the FDE will be devolved to the local government.

The FDE employees have been expressing concern over the move, stating that running the FDE which required around Rs20 billion annually was beyond the capacity of the local government, fearing that the municipal corporation will ultimately go for privatising the schools.

Recently, the issue was also highlighted in the Senate where the opposition rejected it and termed it uncalled for. Like the FDE teachers,over 14,000 employees of the CDA are also opposing the devolution of the civic agency’s departments along with their employees to the local government.

The CDA employees recently staged a massive protest demonstration against the ordinance.

According to the ordinance, besides FDE, all directorates of the CDA except for the chairman secretariat and planning and estate wings will be devolved to the municipal corporation along with staff.

Speaking to Dawn, Mr Awan said instead of announcing boycott of classes the teachers should submit proposals. Their legitimate concerns will be removed when the ordinance will be placed before the parliament.

He said life of the ordinance was 120 days and the government will place it in parliament to make it an Act and local government elections will be held on the basis of the Act, not the ordinance.

He said the FDE will remain part of the ministry of education which will continue dealing with the affairs of its employees, budget and finances.

The SAPM said the mayor will play a role of oversight in greater interest of 2.2 million people of the city. “Things are already cleared but while approving the Act we will make it clearer,” he said.

When asked about the protest of CDA employees, he said the union’s secretary general met him and it was decided that the union will give its suggestions in writing.

“We will incorporate their legitimate proposals in the Act,” the SAPM said.

Speaking to Dawn, CDA Employees’ Union Secretary General Chauhdry Yaseen said the SAPM “assured us that our suggestions will be incorporated in the Act.” He said the CDA employees demanded immediate removal of ordinance.

“We will continue holding dialogues with the government representatives and fighting for our rights in courts and streets,” he said, adding the bad experience of the last local government was still haunting residents of Islamabad.

“CDA is a national organisation and we will not allow its division. Secondly, the performance of CDA speaks for itself. During the five-year tenure of the local government, roads, streets, pavement, markets etc., presented a bad and dilapidated look. But within a few months after getting control of some departments, the CDA through a number of development projects changed the shape of the city,” said Mr Yaseen.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2021