Committee approves UAF’s hefty Rs9.1b budget

VC says financial aid worth Rs564 million will be provided to 5,100 students

FAISALABAD: The finance and planning committee, of University of Agriculture, Faisalabad on Monday approved Rs9,110 million budget estimates for the financial year 2017-18.

The budget was presented by Treasurer Umar Saeed. UAF Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan and other officials were present on the occasion.

As per details, of Rs9,110 million, a hefty amount of Rs4,582 million would be spent on non-development projects. For development expenditure, Rs846.697 million would be provided from federal government and Rs1,107.499 million from the Punjab government. The meeting also approved a budget of Rs2,336.15 million for competitive research grants and Rs37.816 million for Water Management Research Center.



The meeting also approved Rs200 million grants from the Punjab government for non-development schemes.



While chairing the session, Dr Iqrar said the university was making all-out efforts to enhance the quality of education and research work. He said the university will provide financial assistance worth Rs564 million to nearly 5,100 students during the next financial year.

He lauded the steps being taken on the part of Punjab and federal government for the uplift of the education sector. He said that the student endowment fund had touched Rs110 million.

He said, “The university is carrying out commissioned research based upon problem solving of the agricultural sector.”  He pointed out, “A nation cannot prosper without quality education. The country is blessed with tremendous resources, there is need to tap the potential.” He said the university offered free education to students of Balochistan and to special students.

Khan said 425 research projects being funded at a cost of Rs2,549 million were in progress.

He thanked the federal and provincial governments for providing funds to strengthen the education sector.

Khan said that the varsity was paying Rs449 million on salaries. “This budget will be raised when fresh PhDs have been recruited.

He said the South Korean government would set up a technology park at the campus at a cost of $30 million.



Giving details of the Rs627 million financial assistance of the Punjab government, Treasure Umar Saeed said Rs157.607 million would be spent for provision of missing infrastructure at Burewala sub campus while Rs150 million on the establishment of Agriculture Heritage Museum at main campus.

He pointed out Rs40 million would be spent on scheme for 50 overseas MS/MPhil scholarships for capacity building of Agri department, Rs180 million for establishment of Dengue Vector Research Laboratories at UAF, and Rs100 million for developing students – farmer interface for the productivity enhancement in agriculture.

Earlier in 2016, the UAF approved a non-development budget of Rs4,113 million, a development budget funded by the federal government of Rs1,479 million, a budget financed by the provincial government of Rs934 million and a competitive research grant of Rs2,549 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2017.