Bring order in varsities, NAB tells Sindh governor

Accountability watchdog makes numerous suggestions regarding operation of universities

KARACHI: Taking notice of ‘prevalent’ irregularities in the universities of Sindh, the National Accountability Bureau has written a letter to Governor House advising vice-chancellors to clean house.

In an unprecedented move, the September 22-dated letter that surfaced on Thursday read that during the course of an inquiry it was revealed that irregularities unearthed at the University of Karachi (KU) were also prevalent at other institutions in the province.

“In certain cases, such irregularities got the sanction of forums like syndicates,” read the advisory, explaining that wrongdoings were observed in financial, land utilization, human resource and other areas.



NAB, through its additional director Shafqat Mehmood, urged the principal secretary to the governor to take necessary action. The anti-graft watchdog made several recommendations under Section 33(C) of the National Accountability Ordinance. These include the halting of payment of leave encashment on yearly basis to employees and payment of overtime to officers’ grade 17 and above. NAB suggested that overtime be given to employees grade 16 and below strictly under the relevant rules - at prescribed government rates, for a limited time only, for select departments keeping in view their job nature, for limited staff, after fair calculation of the workload of staff and after having an appropriate attendance mechanism.

It also suggested that multiple payments at one time, like honorarium and overtime, to employees should be stopped except pay and allowances.

Money matters

It recommended the establishment of an appropriate mechanism of university fund management and that the inflow and outflow of funds must be recorded in a single place and be audited. In that respect, the bureau suggested that a resident auditor be appointed as per the University. It also recommended that all university bank accounts be audited on a regular basis.



The letter stated that it has been found that the monthly amount deducted from employees for the provident fund (PF) was not being deposited in time into the PF account. NAB said the PF must not be utilised for any other purposes.

The national accountability watchdog also suggested that the internal audit and financial control mechanism should be strengthened and made independent.

Continuing in the same vein, NAB advised the vice-chancellors that no amount should be left outstanding without sufficient reasons or orders, as per the Government Financial Rules and that all outstanding amounts should be recovered.

It stated that all Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) rules and procedures must be followed in procurement and other relevant activities at varsities.

Cutting costs

All commercial activities may be auctioned to fetch the highest revenues for the institution, suggested the letter, adding that the amount of rent, utility and other charges from commercial units should be recovered well in time and must be audited. It has been found that many commercial units have not been paying proper electricity, gas and water charges for the last few years, cautioned NAB. In order to comply with this point, the bureau suggested that each commercial unit have separate gas and electric meters installed directly from the supplier.



Keeping in view the massive amount spent by varsities on electricity, NAB suggested that separate electricity meters be installed in the residential quarters of the varsity. House maintenance charges should be deducted from the allottees’ salaries, as per the ministry of housing and works rules.

It further suggested that all illegally occupied residential quarters should be vacated and utilised in a transparent manner and that action be taken against all illegal and unauthorised construction on university land and for the removal of encroachments.

Employee concerns

Appointments must be done through advertisements and in the light of the Criminal Original Petition 89/2011 on page 1,287 of the Supreme Court Monthly Review 1993.

Human resources mix may be evaluated based on number of permanent, contractual and daily wage employees to save retirement and other costs. The faculty ratio should be evaluated for appropriate recruitments, promotions and conduct of the classes.

It also suggested that the appointment of retired employees in violation of the government rules must be stopped. Recruitment in all grades should be done as per sanctioned posts after proper advertisement and procedure.



The accountability watchdog said the selection process of candidates should be as per prescribed procedure and that postings, placements, promotions and transfers should be made as per the Higher Education Commission-required qualification and prescribed rules and regulations.

Awarding higher grades to non-teaching employees on the basis of time pay scale should also be as per prescribed procedure, the letter stated.

Malpractice in appointments, promotions and post adjustment should be avoided by considering only deserving candidates with prerequisite qualification and experience after following prescribed procedure, suggested the bureau.

The practice of authorising the joining of employees from back dates should be stopped, as should employees being appointed on higher grades through ‘assign to work’ practice, said the letter. It also suggested that varsity’s downgrade existing posts wherever BPS is higher than the government departments. The university as an autonomous body should not frame its rules contradictory to government rules, the bureau warned.



Individuals may not be promoted only by virtue of posting or placement against upgraded posts and administrative posts should be filled by non-teaching officials. Representatives of the government’s finance department should be included in all committees, including the syndicate and senate, suggested NAB.

In order to weed out frauds, it suggested that the degrees of all employees should be verified before induction and degrees of employees in service should also be verified.

Non-core functions such as transport, security, testing, janitorial and printing services could be outsourced, it suggested.

Proper attendance mechanism for all teaching and non-teaching staff should be in place and teaching staff should not be allowed to work in other universities during university working hours. NAB suggested that the HEC’s model university ordinance be adopted in the public varsities and that the trend of referring back cases to the selection board by the syndicate be avoided as this facilitates obtainment of desired decisions.



It suggested that the job description of each employee be well defined and inventory management be adopted for all the resources of the varsity.

Automation and information systems should be introduced for smooth functioning of finance and academic affairs and all syndicate decisions should be implemented in true spirit and well in time, suggested the letter.