October 25, 2006	Wednesday	Shawwal 1, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

LAHORE, Oct 24: The Punjab University has indicated that it will not entertain the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission’s request for the provision of additional 50 acres land along with the existing 12 acres as Suparco failed to meet the terms and conditions of the ongoing 20-year lease agreement.

Instead, the PU has stated that the Suparco should hand over the 12 acres of land along with the structure thereon to the university as per the lease agreement expiring on March 17 next.

It suggested that the Suparco should find an ‘appropriate’ place outside the city to meet its needs. It said installation of its heavy machinery and microwave transmitters outside the thickly populated area would help the residents avoid health hazards.

The university syndicate has also opposed to give additional land to Suparco, which it is demanding in the "national interest."

At a recent PU committee meeting, registrar Prof Dr Naeem Khan was quoted as saying: "It is also very much in the national interest and mandatory for the university administration to secure university land in order to meet the rapid development and the demand of coming generations."

Referring to the ordeal of practically landlocked academic institutions like Government College University, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences and University of Engineering and Technology in the city, he said these institutions were under tremendous pressure and unable to find solution to their difficulties. Now, no one was ready to give them even an inch of land, he added.

The Punjab University had given 12 acres to Suparco for setting up facilities for Satellite Tracking, Space Application and Research on 20-year lease on March 17, 1987.

According to the lease agreement, the Suparco was required to assist the university in the teaching and practical training of its students in the field of space science. It said the Suparco and the PU would ensure close academic collaboration to guide and supervise research work of MSc and M.Phil students.

However, officials concerned said the Suparco management did not meet the terms and conditions in the first 10 years as it did not properly assist the PU in teaching and practical training of its students as well as guiding and supervising research work of MSc and M.Phil students.

Citing an example, they said, PU space science department chairman Prof Dr Abdul Rahim Chaudhry had written a letter to the Suparco chairman in 1996 telling him that the commission was not fulfilling its duties with regard to assisting the PU students. Prof Chaudhry wrote: "I am sorry to say that the department of space science is facing serious problems due to lack of cooperation from Suparco. The teaching and research assignments agreed between the department and the Suparco Centres are not properly accomplished."

Citing a recent example, they said in May, Suparco even demanded payment when the space science department referred an MSC (Honours) student for collection of specific data for his research.

During second decade of the lease agreement, the officials claimed that the Suparco supervised only a few masters level thesis, which could be produced in one or two classes at the university, besides registering one student for PhD.

At a recent meeting, the PU team led by vice-chancellor Arshad Mahmood told the Suparco team headed by chairman Maj-Gen Raza Husain (retired) that the commission did not effectively meet the terms and conditions of the deed. Furthermore, it was not feasible for the university to give 50 acres on 99 years’ lease.

Indicating its unwillingness to extend the lease and provide more land to Suparco, the PU faculty members said the university was expanding and it needed this land for its future projects. They said the university had added 20 new disciplines and tripled the number of students in the last seven years to 30,000. They said the university intended to increase its enrolment up to 85,000 in a decade.

The university was in dire need of existing land as many departments were constructing new buildings, while various departments had already been allocated land for their future development plans.

They said the university, which was once outside the city was now within the populated area and it had to meet its requirements from within.

Similarly, the PU faculty members said Suparco was also expanding and its demand for land during the last two decades had increased almost five fold. In the next decade, if the same growth rate continued, the commission would also need much more land. "Such an accelerated rate of growth demands that Suparco should seek an appropriate place outside the PU in order to meet its needs," they said.

The Suparco was also told that its request was also discussed in the syndicate meeting held on Sept 11 and majority of its members, including those from other government organisations, did not agree to this demand.

The VC told the Suparco chairman that the matter would again be discussed in the next syndicate meeting and the commission would be informed about the final decision.