Huge financial mismanagement: Senate body asks HEC to conduct special audit of SU

The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training (EPT) has directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to carry out the special audit of Sindh University (SU) to find out the reasons and expose main culprit, who are beyond University's huge financial mismanagement pushing the university in the grip of serious financial crisis.
The directions were issued in a meeting of three-member Senate Committee held with Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash in chair at main campus of Sindh University Jamshoro on Tuesday to review the performance and financial situation of all universities of Sindh especially interior Sindh.
In the committee, Sindh University (SU), Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tando Jam, Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU) Khairpur, Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology (QUEST) Nawabshah and Shaheed Banazir Bhutto University (SBBU) Nawabshah presented all their issues and also sought the committee's help on this regard.
On the occasion, Chairman of Committee Abdul Nabi Bangash said that a huge financial mismanagement had occurred in Sindh University due to poor administration system and such crisis was not handled in a right way. Rather than finding a better a way to resolve them, the administration went with Option of Overdraft (OD) from HBL Bank at higher interest rate to inject some funds for its survival which was not good the decision, he said.
Secretary of Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Muhammad Ahsan Raja said that the financial mismanagement in Sindh University was seen to have occurred deliberately and if action on time was not taken, it would cost huge bailout package for saving it from sinking in that crisis.
The committee directed the HEC to hold a special audit to find out the cause and submit the report with the committee as the action could be taken to avert such situation in the future. The member of committee, Ilyas Ahmed Bilour said that HEC should also hold an inquiry into the issue of fake degrees being issued across the country and find out the reasons.
The committee also expressed serious concerns over the Sindh government for not providing any financial assistance to universities in the Sindh province. Bilour said that after the 18 Amendment, it was the responsibility of the provincial government to allocate maximum funds for education sector including universities.
Rather than extending support to those education institutes, the Sindh government is not seen serious to take interest in the matter of universities where poor administration was running at own wishes by looting its funds leaving nothing for its survival, he added. Pakistan People's Party is doing politics in the name of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and Qauid-e-Awam Zulfiqar Bhutto but it is not providing the funds to universities named after these leaders to maintain their names sanctity. The committee recommended that the Sindh government should extend all kinds of support to universities where future youth is based on.
It was informed the committee that Sindh University had availed facility OD of Rs 150 million from HBL Bank at interest rate of 10.5 per cent to pay salaries of employees and also sought financial aid of Rs 140 million to pay its liabilities and also Rs 94.200 million for paying pension in wake of rise of 10 per cent by the government.
On the occasion, the respective Vice Chancellor (VC) gave a presentation about performances and issues being faced by them where they urged the committee to help them in seeking funds from HEC and Sindh government. Senator Rozi Khan Kakar, Acting VC of SU and SALU Dr Parveen Shah, VC of MUET Muhammad Aslam Uqaili, VC of SAU Mujeebuddin Memon, VC QUEST Professor Abdul Karim Baloch, VC SBBU Arshad Saleem and other officials were present on the occasion.