KARACHI, Oct 8: The Sindh government has expressed its willingness to assume administrative control of the Dawood College of Engineering and Technology.

It has, however, made it clear that it would take over the college from the federal government on certain conditions.

A government official said that at a high-level meeting, chaired by the Sindh Governor, it was decided, in principle, that the government would take over the college as offered by the federal government only when the standing financial deficit and other liabilities of the college are cleared.

The federally-controlled engineering college remained without affiliation by any engineering university for at least one year after 1998 when NED University of Engineering and Technology disaffiliated it on grounds of falling standards and academic discipline.

As crisis hit the college, it was formally given affiliation by the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology in 1999 when the Governor of Sindh extended the territorial jurisdiction of the university. Till the end of financial year 2002-2003, the college had a deficit of over Rs 120 million, said a source.

After taking the control of the college, where at present students from all parts of the country are admitted annually, the Sindh government would like to enhance the powers of the existing executive committee of the college or set up a new board of governors.

The official further stated that under the new setup, the provincial government would be at liberty to make changes to the existing policy which is aimed at giving admission to students domiciled in the province only.

About the status of the college under the proposed new administrative control, it was learnt that the government wanted to maintain it initially as an affiliated unit of the NED University of Engineering and Technology or the University of Karachi, while with the passage of time when the financial, academic and administrative problems are resolved, it could be raised to the status of a degree-awarding institution.

A source in the Sindh government said that in a meeting held in February 2002 at the Governor House it was resolved that the best solution to the DCET issue would be to privatize it.

However, as per another resolution, the Sindh government at that time was ready to consider the take over of the college provided clearance of all existing liabilities, removal of over- staffing, upgradation of laboratories and other infrastructure, and if continuous shared financial support of the federal government was ensured.

About 1,600 students are enrolled at the college, while at least one batch had passed respective professional examinations under the Mehran University, Jamshoro. The approval and recognition of degrees conferred to DCET students by the MUE&T is still needed to be accredited by Pakistan Engineering Council, which had disaccredited the college degree some year backs in the wake of alleged academic and professional deficiencies.

When contacted, the college principal, Dr Mohammad Saleem Chauhdry, said that the PEC team had already made a preliminary visit to the college, while another visit by the team is likely to take place in December or January 2004.

He said that the PEC accreditation is required in case college graduates apply for government jobs, while on the other hand, the Mehran university degrees are already recognized by the Higher Education Commission.

To another question, he stated that though he was not involved in the latest round of meetings held at the Governors House on the issue of DCET, he could say that it was on the request of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, the chairman of the executive committee of the college, who wanted that the college should remain affiliated with any university at Karachi.

He further said that the college enjoyed the status of a federal institution and the federal education ministry had lately decided that colleges affiliation with the Mehran University be continued.