Vice Chancellors Sindh based public sector universities of Sindh have appealed to the Prime Minister, Sindh Governor and Sindh Chief Minister to take notice of the cut in recurring and development budget of these universities.
Appeal was made in a meeting of Sindh Universities' VCs Steering Committee, chaired by Sindh University Vice Chancellor, Mazhar-ul-Haq Siddiqui at his office on late Friday evening. The meeting was apprehensive that slash in recurring and development budget of the universities will severely affect the teaching, research activities as well as administrative affairs of their respective institutions of higher learning.
It was also highlighted that public sector universities were presently in process of capacity building therefore, any cut in funds could adversely affect the performance of the higher learning institutions.
Vice Chancellors of public sector universities of the province said that budgets for their institutions were already in deficit and another 30 percent cut in recurring budget will aggravate the problem. According to them 20 percent raise in pay and allowances will further add to the financial difficulties and ultimately affect performance of these universities.
They submitted that Finance Ministry be directed to review its decision and to also release additional funds to fulfil expenses required to arrange 20 percent raise in salaries of the faculty as well as employees of universities. Finance Ministry was urged to release funds for development projects as promised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for completion of ongoing mega-projects of universities of the province.
The meeting also appealed to the government to allocate adequate funds for human resource development for education of scholars doing their PhD abroad and in the country.
The Vice Chancellors Committee assured the government that the university managements will do their utmost to utilise the available resources, in most economical manner, in view of the financial constraints being faced by the country.
The meeting was attended among others by Engineer Abul Kalam (Vice Chancellor NED University), Dr Qasim Raza Pirzada (Vice Chancellor Karachi University), Dr A.Q. Khan Rajput (Vice Chancellor Mehran University of Engineering and Technology), Dr Bashir Ahmed Shaikh (Vice Chancellor Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam), Dr Noushad Ahmed Shaikh (Vice Chancellor Liaqaut University of Medical and Health Sciences), Dr Wahid Bux Soomro (Vice Chancellor Quaid Awam University of Engineering, Sciences and Technology, Nawabshah). The Pro-Vice Chancellor of Sindh University, Dr Raffia Ahmed Shaikh was also present on the occasion.