Colleges to drop uplift schemes

Most of development budget to be spent on school infrastructure

LAHORE:

The provincial development budget for the coming financial year is unlikely to promise much improvement in the higher education sector as the finance department has withdrawn several proposed schemes because of lack of funds.

According to sources in the Punjab Planning and Development Department, the shortage of funds is likely to have a substantial impact on the higher education sector as the Punjab government is set to focus on school education in the budget.

The sources said the proposed provincial budget for higher education was likely to amount to around Rs15 billion, while Rs45 billion would be set aside for school education.

The Punjab government is planning to present the budget for 2023-24 during the second week of this month. As preparation. of the budget for the and in this connection working for the higher and school education departments is under way, the stakeholders of the sector, including the teachers have aired expectations of the fulfilment of their demands.

However, the government is not in a position to significantly increase the budget for higher education and lack of funds has forced it to drop proposed development schemes for the department.

An official of the planning and development department told The Express Tribune that the the development budget for the higher education sector was likely to be of around Rs15 billion.

The official said the finance department had objected to proposed schemes for higher education.

The higher education department had suggested several new schemes but they have been withdrawn due to the lack of funds and now the government will focus on the ongoing projects.

The official said their would be a slight increase in the budget as compared to last year and the in focus in the coming year would be on the facilities and infrastructure in the college sector.

However, the government is likely to announce a 15 per cent raise school and college teachers, the official added.

The development budget for the higher education sector in the province last year was of Rs15 billion with the focus on setting up new campuses of public sector universities. On the other hand, the government plans to propose a Rs45 billion development budget for the school education sector with a special allocation for building classrooms in the institutions across Punjab.

The allocation for the development of the school education sector last year was Rs39 billion.

The official said the government had also allocated funds for the Punjab Education Foundation and Insaf Afternoon Schools project.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Teachers Union and other groups of teachers have announced a protest demonstration on June 9 in front of the Parliament House and in Lahore on Friday to press their demand for increase in salary.

"The salary of professor's and lecturers in the province was not increased during the past year despite the devaluation of the rupee. We have suffered because of the economic conditions like other citizens. We are demanding a 100 per cent increase in our pay," said Punjab Professors and College Lecturers Association president Prof Tariq Kaleem.

"We are also demanding an increase in allowances along with a 100% raise as the government has itself conceded a massive price hike," added Punjab Teachers Union secretary general Rana Liaqat Ali. He said teachers from across Punjab would participate in the protest planned in Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2023.