KARACHI, March 25: The syndicate of the University of Karachi has urged the government to allow the university to create new posts of non-teaching staff and provide necessary funds to the varsity to manage the affairs of its newly-created departments.
A meeting of the syndicate was held on Tuesday, with vice chancellor Dr Zafar Saied Saify in the chair, wherein the annual budget of Rs 610 million for the year 2003-2004 was also approved, sources said.
The university ran into a deficit of Rs 42mn in the year 2001-2002, while according to revised budget for the year 2002-2003, it is likely to suffer a deficit of about Rs 88mn again, it was learnt.
Members expressed concern over the financing by the government for this major public sector university of the country. The government grants proved non-sufficient even for meeting the salary component of the university budget.
Some of the syndicate members were of the view that since the university was generating more than 50 per cent of the university revenue through its own sources, it be allowed to create new posts.
However, a representative from the government side in the syndicate, observed that government would make a substantial increase in KU grants for the new year and in the years to come.
Sources said that the budgetary proposals for the new year were prepared, with the anticipation that the government would provide about Rs 380 million to the university, while income from its own resources would be around 230 million.
The syndicate did not allow any increase in the rate of payment under the head of overtime, while it allowed an increase of 50 per cent in the existing white-wash charges in the case of residential block, added the source.
