Rs15b to be released to education institutions

HEC, Planning Commission hammer out solution to financial crisis; universities' classes to resume on Friday.

A row between the government and public sector universities ended on Thursday when authorities announced to release Rs15 billion to help higher education institutions meet their most pressing needs. Of this amount, Rs6 billion will be released immediately.

This decision was finalised at a meeting of the committee that Prime Minister Gilani formed last week to resolve the funding dispute between the Finance Ministry and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Nadeemul Haq and attended by HEC chairman Dr Javed Laghari, as well as members of the committee.

Officials said they had resolved the issue once and for all and announced that the universities will end their strike to resume academic activities.

The release of funds will enable universities to pay a 50 per cent raise in salaries to its employees and allow the HEC to disburse fees of at least one-semester to Pakistani students studying abroad on scholarship.

Additionally, it has been decided that the universities will be able to continue those projects on which 80 per cent work has already been completed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2010.