To CM Secretariat or Governor’s House?

VCs confused over where decisions lie, fear delays.

LAHORE:

The tussle between the governor and the chief minster over who has discretion in appointment of vice chancellors (VC) is only one aspect of the problem. VCs across the province are in a fix over whom to report.

A notification issued by the Higher Education Department to universities advises the VCs to communicate with the government through the HED.

An HED official said, “If a VC wants to apply for a leave, the application should be sent to the HED. It will be forwarded by a section officer to the deputy secretary and finally to the HED secretary, who will forward it to the chief secretary. The chief secretary will send it to the Governor’s House.”  Officials at both the CM’s Secretariat house and the Governor’s House claim authority over the VCs.

On Monday, Punjab University VC Dr Mujahid Kamran called on Governor Sardar Latif Khosa following a 10-day trip to the UK. An official at the PU said that some of his colleagues worried that Dr Kamran’s visit could affect the university relationship with the HED.

“The CM and the governor should resolve the matter quickly so that the system can run smoothly,” a public university VC said.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2011.