KARACHI: Government school teachers tasked with verifying electoral lists in Karachi are up in arms over what they say is ‘extremely meagre’ compensation announced by the election commission. To add insult to injury, the compensation was announced six months after the task was assigned.

The teachers were hired in November 2021 to prepare the voter list say they are to be paid for their work. “We went from door-to-door to prepare voter lists,” one teacher told Aaj News.

The electoral watchdog said that it would pay Rs15,000 to the verifying officer, Rs18,000 to the supervisor and Rs20,000 to the assistant returning officer. No one has been paid as yet.

Sindh Election Commissioner Ejaz Chauhan, who was appointed to the post last month, told Aaj News that the problem would be addressed and compensation would be provided to the teachers“.

The government teachers say they executed the two-month long task considering it a national responsibility. Now, after six months, they have announced Rs15,000 as compensation. This is humiliating,“ said one teacher.

The protesting teachers point out that most of them spent more than Rs15,000 on fuel and food while performing the task.

One protester said that the ECP managmenet ‘sitting in air-conditioned rooms’ announce Rs50,000 special allowance for its employees on occasions like Eid. “But us contractual workers are being provided less than minimum wage for our difficult assignment. We do not accept it.”

The protesting teachers said that if the ECP continues with such practices, then teachers wouldn’t take part in any work in the future.