The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) will set up sub-campus in Depalpur, Okara, which will be completed by 2017. The Punjab Government has provided 77 acres of land to the UAF and allocated Rs 500 million for the project whereas the rest of development funds will be provided by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). This was stated by UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while addressing a ceremony held in this regard.
Federal Parliamentary Secretary MNA Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan was the chief guest. The Vice Chancellor said that the UAF, being the first agricultural institute in the sub-continent, has the long history of giving birth to other universities. He added the University of Veterinary and Animals Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, PMAR Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, and Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan, were the UAF sub-campuses which were, later, elevated to the status of full-fledged universities. He hoped that the University-run Toba Tek Singh sub-campus, Burewala-Vehari sub-campus and Depalpur-Okara sub-campus will be made full-fledged universities in future. He said Okara District was giving the highest agricultural productivity due to its well aware farming community. He added that it was the challenge for the agricultural scientists to further improve the production and hoped that the sub-campus will work as bridging the gap in modern knowledge and ongoing agricultural practices in the at fields. He said that major calories in human body were being generated by wheat, rice and potatoes. He was of the view that Okara was providing 25 percent of total potato production of the country.
Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan said that Depalpur sub-campus was meant to equip the local people with modern education at their door step. He said the students will be able to crunch their thirst of quality agricultural education at their hometown rather than going to other places.