The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has sought Rs 8 billion from the Ministry of Finance as supplementary grant for public sector universities which are facing an acute shortage of funds for running these universities, said HEC Executive Director Sohil Naqvi on Thursday. He said the Finance Ministry officials were cooperating with HEC and it was expected they would release sufficient funds for the universities. It may be mentioned here that the vice chancellors of public sector universities have been demanding supplementary grants for the last six months.
On September 14 more than 70 vice chancellors, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, said due to shortage of funds the universities were on the brink of financial collapse. It is relevant to note here that the government had not raised the salaries of the universities employees, despite pledges made last year and in the current year. Last year, the government announced 50 percent increase in the salaries of the universities’ employees but had halted that raise saying it was a one-time increase. The employees are also not being paid the15 percent increase pledged by the government in the current year’s financial budget.
