Beast of burden: Sindh plans veterinary university in Sakrand

200 acres to be allocated and next year’s budget to factor in campus.

KARACHI: Next year’s development budget will include funding for a Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences to be established in Sakrand and Larkano, announced Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Tuesday.

The next step will be to prepare a proposal and work on the appointment of a vice chancellor, registrar and other staff. This will be done by a steering committee that will consist of the additional chief secretary of planning and development, the secretaries of livestock, finance, agriculture, works and services, the vice chancellor Sindh Agriculture University at Tando Jam, a senior member of the Board of Revenue, a member of the land utilization department and the deputy commissioners of Larkano and Shaheed Benazirabad. The committee will also look for a suitable plot on at least 200 acres.

Until the university is set up, temporary classes will be started at the agriculture training institute of Sakrand and Quaid-e-Awam Agriculture Research Institute in Larkano where half of the seats will be allocated for men and half for women.

Education Secretary Siddique Memon said that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan veterinary medical council’s guidelines will be followed.

Sindh Agriculture University VC Dr AQ Mughal assured they would provide their expertise.

The meeting was attended by the minister for law and parliamentary affairs, Ayaz Soomro, Minister for Agriculture Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, Agriculture Secretary Aijaz Ali Khan, Works & Services Secretary Alamuddin Bullo, Livestock Secretary Laiq Memon.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.