The Gujrat University, a public sector university, is facing an acute financial crunch with Rs 334 million deficit, which is almost 50 per cent of its total budget of FY 2011-2012. Vice Chancellor University of Gujrat Professor Dr Muhammad Nizamuddin told members of Lahore Education Reporters Association (LERA) during their visit to Gujrat.
He said GU had prepared annual budget of Rs 650 million, hoping that it would get Rs 225 million from Higher Education Commission (HEC), Rs 225 million from Punjab Government and it would generate Rs 150 million from its own resources. After getting all these resources they were expecting the deficit of Rs 50 million.
Against these projections, he said, GU had been informed that Punjab government would give Rs 66 million against the demand of Rs 225 million while HEC would provide only Rs 100 million against the demand of Rs 225 million which increased the deficit by Rs 334 million.
He said GU would be crippled by the shortage of funds and forced to close down some of its academic departments and consequently downsize its teaching and non teaching staff. He further said that this year the university would not renew the contract of its 50 to 60 employees, which includes both teaching and non teaching staff.
Dr Nizam said that on developmental side they had requested the Punjab government to allocate Rs 400 million for the completion of its under construction projects especially for the construction of auditorium and library but Punjab government allocated only Rs 50 million for the projects.
The Vice Chancellor suggested that Primary Education Commission should be established in the provinces on the pattern of HEC, adding that the role of education department in the provinces should be of a regulatory body. To a question about the announcement of Punjab government of not accepting US and foreign grants Dr Nizam said that no body could live in isolation. "When you call America your friend then what's wrong in accepting the grant. However there is a difference between grant and loan," he added. He said that decisions about taking loans should be taken after great discreet and contemplation.
While talking about the industry academia linkages vice-chancellor said that they had signed Memorandums Of Understanding (MOUs) with different stake holders of industry. He said that campus was rightly established in the industrial triangle of Gujranwala, Sialkot and Gujrat . The industrial enterprise of the area must contact academia at the varsity in general and the School of Art, Design and Architecture in particular to strengthen the industry academia linkage.
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