Various public and private sector universities collect handsome amounts of funds under head of students’ welfare fund.
ISLAMABAD: Various public and private sector universities in the country collect handsome amounts of funds under the head of students’ welfare fund, or development fund, every year. This is collected from students, along with their tuition fees, but how that amount — estimated to be in the millions — is spent by the university administration has become debatable.
Thirty years ago, when I was student at the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, the erudite vice chancellors used to be very particular about the way these funds were used. Those vice chancellors utilised every single paisa of the funds on the welfare of students.
During the regime of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, when political appointees, instead of academicians and educationists, were thrust upon various universities, those men started the misuse and extravagant use of these funds. That dirty practice still continues in many public sector universities across the country. It is now time to address this situation.
I appeal to the president to direct the Auditor General of Pakistan to probe into the way these funds are utilised and to take stringent action against those who have used them for other nefarious purposes.
Hashim Abro
Published In The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2012.
