SIALKOT
As many as 1,000 male and female lecturers have been made redundant after the completion of their eight-month contracts in different government colleges of Gujranwala Division.
According to Director Colleges Gujranwala Division Ghulam Sarwar Sipra, the above mentioned lecturers had been recruited by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for eight months on October 1st, 2014 with Rs.30,000 per month stipend to overcome the shortage of teaching staff in the government colleges. He said that now the said lecturers had been made redundant. He said that now the above-mentioned vacant posts would be filled with the appointment of regular teachers through the Public Service Commission.
DEMAND: The Pakistan Stainless Steel Dealers Association has demanded reduction in the sales tax on stainless steel products, besides simplifying the complicated process of return of the refund to the exporters. It said that these two direly needed steps would support the steel industry in the country.
Pakistan Stainless Steel Dealers Association President Ghulam Hussain and other steal importers and exporters including Ehsan ul Haq, Jawad Ashraf Butt and Atif Iqbal said that the prolonged energy crisis has put the steel industry on the verge of collapse. Proposed 3 percent increase in general sales tax (GST) by government in the coming fiscal budget would prove itself as the last nail into the coffin of this dying industry, they added. They said reduction in GST would enable this steel industry to enhance its production capacity, adding that the early provision of cheaper raw material to steel industry was the demand and need of the industry.
WHEAT PROCUREMENT CLOSED: The official wheat procurement will be closed in Gujranwala division here on Thursday.
According to the senior officials of the food department, the food department had purchased as many as 3171930 bags of wheat worth Rs, 10.3 billion at all the 43 official wheat procurement centers in the region. This was the 74 percent of the total target given by the Punjab government. Punjab government had also given a target of issuance of 4752000 gunny bags to the wheat growers in Gujranwala division during this season, while only 3191203 gunny bags could be issued to the wheat growers.
According to the experts, closing of the official wheat procurement will also bring ups and down in the wheat prices.