RAWALPINDI, Nov 9: The Punjab government has withdrawn 343 vacancies of teachers after the education department in Rawalpindi district had failed to fill them before the November 9 deadline.

Sources said there were around 2,254 teaching positions which were vacant in the district, however, the provincial government had permitted the recruitments against 1,281 vacancies. With the 343 positions remaining un-utilised, only 938 vacancies could be filled.

One of the biggest problem facing the district particularly the rural areas is the shortage of qualified teachers, due to which quality of education at the public schools is being severely affected.

The district Nazim, Tariq Kiani, said the education department had sought applications for specific places. The vacancies, which could not be utilised, had no applicant, he added.

To a question, he said, the education department was not competent enough to change the priorities for choice of posting station given by the candidate. “Since there was no one desirous for appointment at these places, the Punjab government subsequently withdrew the positions,” he said.

Meanwhile, those, who have been appointed at various places are not satisfied with the allocation of their stations. There are numerous complaints about stations allotment issue, which the District Council had debated during its recent sessions, but could not find a suitable solution.

The female teachers are the severely affected ones due to the posting pattern.

Talking about this issue, the Nazim said, every candidate had been asked to give 15 choices and the place of posting offered to each appointed person was one of his own choices.

The district Naib Nazim, Raja Javed Ikhlas, while expressing concern at the recruitment exercise during the last district council session had said: “The recruitment policy does not suit to the local people and people forced by poverty have agreed to join far-off stations.” “Serving at far-off stations is difficult for women,” he added.