January 18, 2008	Friday	Muharram 08, 1429

KARACHI, Jan 17: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has issued directive for finalising the process of the appointment of pro-vice chancellors and preparation of master plans for all public sector universities of Sindh.

“With growing teaching and research activities at the universities, it has become imperative that vice-chancellors get enough time to work in these fields,” he said while chairing a high-level meeting. A report prepared by the monitoring unit, set up for higher education, also came under consideration.

Project Director and Special Secretary Higher Education, Governor’s House, Aftab Lodhi, apprised the meeting of the details of the project.

The governor stressed the public sector universities would be made a model in relation to their environment, facilities and buildings. He observed that with the establishment of the Provincial Monitoring Unit, a significant improvement in the performance of these universities was visible.

The meeting was informed that the tenure of the monitoring unit was being extended for another three year term. It was established at the Governor’s House by the Higher Education Commission in 2005 with an allocation of Rs5.5 million.

Giving details of the ongoing projects, Mr Lodhi said that at present, 94 projects costing Rs12.66 billion were being executed at 11 public sector universities and institutes and 36 of them had since been completed.

These included 19 projects of Karachi University costing Rs1.38 billion, 11 projects of the Sindh University costing Rs977.7 million, 15 projects of the NED costing Rs3.69 billion, seven projects of the Agriculture University (Tandojam) costing Rs785.89 million, eight projects of the Shah Abdul Latif University (Khairpur) costing Rs292.94 million, five projects of the Quaid-i-Awam University (Nawabshah) costing Rs702.10 million, 10 projects of the Liaquat University of Health Sciences costing Rs883.36 million, five projects of the Dow University of Health Sciences costing Rs1.595 billion, nine projects of the Mehran University costing Rs1.328 billion, four projects of IBA costing Rs397.99 million and one project of IBA Sukkur costing Rs32.54 million.

The meeting was further informed that the problem of transport for the universities had also been resolved to a great extent.

According to Mr Lodhi, land has been acquired for establishing a campus of the Sindh University in Mirpurkhas.

The governor suggested that till the establishment of a permanent campus, a building should be acquired on a temporary basis to start academic activity.

He also called for promoting sports at the universities and regulating the hostel facilities as per the prescribed rules and regulations. However, he added, the hostels must not be allowed to be used for undesired activities.

Mega projects

Sindh (caretaker) Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Abdul Qadir Halepota has said that the government is working on mega projects relating to education, communication, health and water sectors, and these projects will be completed within the stipulated time to ensure provision of all basic necessities of life to the masses.

He was talking to different personalities who called on him at the CM’s House here on Thursday.

The chief minister told them that engineering colleges were being established in Badin, Jacobabad and Larkana and the institutions would help promote higher education in these parts of the province, besides producing experts in the field of engineering. Through these institutions, people of Sindh would be able to compete in local as well as international job markets.

Justice Halepota pointed out that Sindh was rich in minerals and agricultural produce, and stressed: “What is needed is the will and determination to play our role in the province’s progress with honesty and due dutifulness.”

He said that Pakistan was facing an energy crisis at the moment and steps would have to be taken on war-footing in order to meet its energy requirements. He was of the view that the Thar coal project could play an important role in this regard.

The chief minister said that talks were being held with the federal government on fixing a price structure for Thar coal. “Sindh will present its case to the federal government at the next meeting on the subject,” he added.

He said that strict security measures had been taken in Karachi and other parts of Sindh to ensure complete peace during Muharram. Religious congregations and mourning processions were being monitored through close-circuit cameras, he pointed out.

The personalities who call on the chief minister included former ambassador Mansoor Alam, former MPA Dr Bahadur Khan Dahri, ex-NBP vice-president Fazal Kazi, Sindh Excise Minister Dr Karim Mahar, IT Minister Jam Karam Ali, Education Secretary Dr Mohammed Ali, Labour Minister Arif Ali Abbasi and former commissioner M.M. Usmani.—APP