HOMOGENISING LUXURY – To each his own car

LAHORE – Approximately Rs 103 million of government money will be spent on the purchase of 74 Honda City cars for the professors of the Punjab University (PU), as the varsity administration has given a free hand to all its departmental chairman to purchase cars, Pakistan Today learnt on Wednesday. The administration does not have enough funds and thus the administration allowed the departments to purchase cars from their departmental savings. According to sources, these cars will be purchased from the account of self-supporting programs for all those professors who do not have a vehicle and they will be purchased if the department has enough savings. According to sources, all 74 professors are now in line to getting new Honda City cars.
According to PU sources, the varsity decided to provide Honda City cars to professors in a meeting where the professors made the demand. ‘OBLIGING’ THE PROFESSORS: According to a senior professor at PU, administration decided to allow this luxury just for the sake of Hall Council Chairman Dr Amin Ather, an ‘influential’ faculty member. Dr Amin purchased a car last month, violating rules and triggering a wave of resentment among his colleagues because he was already using two varsity vehicles.
Sources said that administration had been facing pressure from other professors for the cars after Dr Amin got one. Instead of taking action against Dr Amin, the administration decided to spend around Rs 103 million to oblige other professors.
According to a PU Finance Department official, administration allowed car purchase for those professors who do not have vehicles, as VC was working for the professors’ welfare, but some elements were taking advantage of the situation.A varsity official said the provision of Honda City car was illegal for those already having one or more cars.
He said that some professors were trying to get an extra car taking advantage of this decision. He disclosed that two pro-Jamat-i-Islami (JI) teachers were given Honda City cars although they already had varsity vehicles. He said three cars were given by the varsity to such teachers, including a pro-JI senior member who was also contesting syndicates’ election and already has an official vehicle. He said that since a Honda City car costs Rs 1.4 million, 74 cars would cost around Rs 103 million.
STUDENTS AND FACULTY CONDEMNS: On the other hand, students and faculty members are condemning the PU administration for allowing the car purchase. They said that the government should take notice of the situation and should ensure that this money is spent on students’ welfare. A PU student said that PU being a government varsity, the funds that the varsity generated was government money. He said that self-supporting programs were started only to meet the financial requirements of the varsity and it was not meant for the purchase of cars for ‘corrupt’ professors.
The varsity professors condemned PU professors and said that HEC gives millions of rupees funding to PU while other varsities suffered. He said that being a famous varsity of the country PU earned a lot and professors were busy looting government money.
ONE MORE CAR PLEASE: Punjab University (PU) faculty and students condemned PU Geography Department Chairman Haji Abdul Ghaffar for applying for another Honda City car when he is already using two official vehicles. Sources said that Ghaffar, who is also a member of Tanzeem Asataza, a pro-JI group, was also violating PU’s one-man-one-post policy. Ghaffar wrote a letter to the PU VC Professor Dr Mujahid Kamran and requested him to give him another Honda City Car.
According to a PU Faculty member, Dr Ghaffar did not consider the problems of other faculty members. He said that former Geography Department chairman Prof Dr Tabbasum Jamal, a professor senior than Dr Ghaffar, did not have an official vehicle while Dr Ghaffar was asking for another one. He says Dr Tabbasum falls ranks 27 in the seniority list while Dr Ghaffar numbers 60 but Dr Tabbasum was sidelined. Dr Ghaffar, PU PRO Khurram Shahzad avoided commenting about the issue while Registrar Dr Akhter and Treasure Uzma were not available for comment.