Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday reminded the public servants that they have to be sincere in performing their duties as their salaries and other allowances come from the tax money people pay.

“We're getting our salaries and allowances from taxpayers' money, so we have to be careful while discharging our duties,” she said when a delegation of BCS Education Association, led by its President Prof Fahima Khatun, met with her at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

The PM said the government is actively considering constituting a separate Service Commission to ensure the appropriate status of teachers in the society.

She asked the teachers to stay in their workplaces instead of trying to have them posted in Dhaka.

A separate pay commission will be formed for the teachers to enhance their salaries and other benefits, she said, adding

that the government already provided time-scale for all the teachers.

It is implementing various programmes for the development of education, which is the primary prerequisite to poverty alleviation, Hasina said.

The government is providing free textbooks up to the secondary level and introduced locally-managed school-feeding programme to check student dropout, she added.

Besides, an Education Assistant TYust Fund with initial money of Tk 1,000 crore has been formed to help the poor and meritorious students to continue their studies up to degree level.

Press Secretary to the PM Abul Kalam Azad briefed journalists after the meeting.

Principal Secretary to the PM Sheikh M Wahid Uz Zaman, PMO Secretary Molla Waheeduzzaman and Education Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury were also present.