Govt releases Rs1.2b; HEC says not enough
Panel says amount would just pay salaries for July-Sept.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) remained firm in carrying on its protest despite the government’s move to pay Rs1.2 billion which the commission needed to pay university staff salaries for the first quarter of the current financial year. The commission says the money was not enough to make it call off its Tuesday’s strike.
The government action was clearly an attempt to allay the worries of the angry alliance of faculty members of 72 universities, showing that the government was committed to resolving their financial problems.
HEC’s Executive Director Dr Sohail Naqvi said that the amount would just help pay the staff salaries for the July-September period. He said that the government had also assured the commission about the release of a second installment of equal amount soon, enabling them to pay the salaries till December.
“The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association is of the view that the government is not delivering on its promises. Thus, the faculty would go on strike today (Tuesday),” said Mr Farooq, the president of the NUML Academic Staff Association.
Dr Naqvi said that the government told the HEC on Monday that Rs5.6 billion more would be released soon to meet current expenditure. The amount also includes Rs1.2 billion for paying the 50 per cent raised salaries. He said Rs3.2 was released on Friday that would help pay for students’ scholarships.
Financial problems have put the future of 14,000 doctorate students at risk. Of the total, 5,000 students are studying abroad. However, the government has indicated that it would protect the scholarships.
The government has drastically cut HEC funds: this year, the government has allocated Rs19 billion less than its actual needs. The commission’s budgetary allocation of Rs15.8 billion is also under the threat of being cut.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2010.
The government action was clearly an attempt to allay the worries of the angry alliance of faculty members of 72 universities, showing that the government was committed to resolving their financial problems.
HEC’s Executive Director Dr Sohail Naqvi said that the amount would just help pay the staff salaries for the July-September period. He said that the government had also assured the commission about the release of a second installment of equal amount soon, enabling them to pay the salaries till December.
“The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association is of the view that the government is not delivering on its promises. Thus, the faculty would go on strike today (Tuesday),” said Mr Farooq, the president of the NUML Academic Staff Association.
Dr Naqvi said that the government told the HEC on Monday that Rs5.6 billion more would be released soon to meet current expenditure. The amount also includes Rs1.2 billion for paying the 50 per cent raised salaries. He said Rs3.2 was released on Friday that would help pay for students’ scholarships.
Financial problems have put the future of 14,000 doctorate students at risk. Of the total, 5,000 students are studying abroad. However, the government has indicated that it would protect the scholarships.
The government has drastically cut HEC funds: this year, the government has allocated Rs19 billion less than its actual needs. The commission’s budgetary allocation of Rs15.8 billion is also under the threat of being cut.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2010.