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Syndicate okays Rs 2.38bn Punjab University budget
LAHORE, Sep 6: The Punjab University (PU)
Syndicate has approved Rs 2.383 billion budget for year 2007-08, which is higher
than the last year's budget of Rs 1.836 billion.
According to a press
release issued by the PU on Wednesday, the budget was approved by the PU
Syndicate in its 1,673rd meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor (VC) Lt Gen (r)
Arshad Mahmood.
According to budget estimates, the PU will generate Rs
1.457 billion (61 percent) from its own resources and expects Rs 926 million (39
percent) grant from the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The university
expects to generate Rs 672 million (46 percent) from the examination department
and Rs 288 million (20 percent) from registration and degree fees. It will also
make Rs 91 million from on campus students' tuition fee, Rs 87 million from
self-support programmes, Rs 71 million from self-finance programmes, Rs 70
million from utility charges and Rs 178 million from other resources.
Besides spending on the ongoing projects, the university will spend Rs
161 million in salaries after revising pay scales and allowances. The university
has also increased pensions and has promoted teaching and clerical D-class
employees.
The PU allocates Rs 40 million for the financial and planning
committee, Rs 18 million for the newly recommended posts, Rs 212 million to pay
recurring and Rs 434 million nonrecurring costs of the Scheduled New Expenditure
(SNE). The university will fill 33 teaching positions and 198 administration
posts this year.
Addressing syndicate members, Mahmood said the
university had done thorough planning to meet students' needs who belonged to
the less privileged families and remote areas. He said the university had a long
tradition of talent hunt to improve people's living standards. He said despite
the HEC's refusing to give a portion of the grant, the university had increased
scholarship grant from Rs 9,000 to Rs 12,000 for the students meeting
scholarship criteria. He said the school would award 3,000 scholarships in each
category. He said the university had increased research scholar remuneration
from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 and honorarium for demonstrators from Rs 1,000 to Rs
5,000. He said the main library would be given additional Rs 10 million to buy
new books and Rs 15 million for renovation.
Mahmood said the university
had allocated Rs 30 million for students' hostel infrastructure, Rs 8 million to
purchase two new buses for students and employees, Rs 6 million for the
benevolent fund and Rs 7.5 million for the payment of compensation to the
bereaved families. He said the university would spend Rs 50 million on the
provision of medical facilities, Rs 20 million to cover university employees'
hospitalisation expenses and Rs 4.73 million to buy machinery for the laboratory
and emergency unit equipment at the PU Health Centre. He said the university had
allocated Rs 10 million to buy laptops, computers and multimedia facilities to
enhance teachers' capabilities. He said the school had also allocated Rs 20
million for overseas scholarships for faculty members.
PU Registrar Prof
Dr Muhammad Naeem Khan gave a budget presentation to the Syndicate members. He
said the university had done planning and took bold initiatives without
considering the fact that the HEC had stopped university's grant. He said the
university was financially stable and had ample resources to meet it
requirements. Daily times
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