ISLAMABAD: Like in the past, majority of new development schemes of Higher Education Commission (HEC) are unlikely to get funding in 2016-17.

For financial year 2016-17, the government has allocated Rs21.5 billion for ongoing and new development schemes of the HEC. However, out of the total 39 new development schemes, 35 are unapproved and their funding is conditional with the approval of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP).

Budget documents 2015-16 show that the federal government had allocated funds for 56 new development schemes, but according to the new budget documents for fiscal year 2016-17, majority of the projects could not get approval of the CDWP.

In 2015-16, only 19 development schemes could get approval of the CDWP.

The HEC officials Dawn spoke to feared that fate of 35 new unapproved projects would be the same as those which had been announced in 2015-16 but could not get through the CDWP. “The HEC will have to vigorously pursue the cases. If the 35 unapproved projects cannot get the nod of the respective forums such as the CDWP, the earmarked funds will remain a mere allocation,” said an official of the HEC.

Without approval, funds earmarked for development schemes in 2016-17 budget will be a mere allocation

For upcoming financial year, the federal government has not made any significant increase in the development budgets of the HEC, but recurring budget got a reasonable increase from Rs51 billion to Rs58 billion.

Last year, the government had allocated Rs70 billion for development and non-development expenditure of the HEC. For 2016-17, the government has earmarked Rs79.5 billion for higher education sector, which, according to the budget speech of Ishaq Dar, is 11pc higher than last year and highest ever in the HEC’s history.

However, comparisons of development budgets for financial year 2015-16 and 2016-17 reveal a meagre increase from Rs20.5 billion to Rs21.48 billion.

The budgetary documents show that the federal government has allocated Rs21,486.487 million (Rs21.4 billion) for the ongoing development schemes and 39 new projects.

The unapproved new schemes include: academic research linkage with different countries (Rs50 million), agriculture college at Dera Murad Jamali (Rs150 million), Bhawalpur Institute of Science and Technology (Rs75 million), capacity building and strengthening of the centre of excellence in Mineralogy University of Balochistan, Quetta (Rs75 million), centre of excellence for mathematic at Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences (Pieas), Islamabad (Rs50 million) development and improvement of academic facilities at Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan (Rs100 million).

Furthermore, Rs65 million has been allocated for establishment of AJK Women University, Bagh; Rs150 million for establishment of a Federal University at Hyderabad and Rs60 million has been earmarked for establishment of Sardar Bhadur Khan Women’s University Quetta, but these schemes have yet to be get the nod of CDWP.

Similarly, the federal government has allocated Rs350 million in its budget for 2016-17 for establishment of sub campuses of public sector universities at district level (umbrella project of the HEC).

The government has also allocated Rs200 million for establishment of University of Baltistan and Rs50 million each for development of University of Education Lahore and University of Gwadar and set aside Rs297 million for strengthening and upgradation of universities of backward areas and Rs200 million for Women University campuses at Pishin and Khuzdar. These development schemes have yet to be approved by the CDWP.

The only four approved schemes are establishment of technology development funds for HEC scholars returning after completion of PhD to introduce new technologies application in Pakistan, for which government has allocated Rs300 million and a project of establishment of University of Central Asia and Pakistan, which got Rs600 million.

Similarly, the government earmarked Rs250 million for project of Innovation Centre and Software Park at University of Engineering & Technology and Rs200 million for post-doctoral fellowship programme phase III. Sources said that there were dozens of projects, which were announced in 2014-15 and 2015-16 budgets, but could not get approved by the CDWP.

When contacted, the HEC spokesperson Ayesha Ikram denied any delay in development schemes.

To a query, she said that there were 55 unapproved development projects in Public Sector Development Programme for 2015-16, of them 28 had been approved. Of 64 development projects for fiscal year 2015-16, almost 42 have been approved, she said.

When asked about the fate of 35 new unapproved projects announced for fiscal year 2016-17, the, spokesperson said: “We are hopeful of getting these projects approved by the CDWP in the upcoming fiscal year.”

Asked about the reason for delay, she said: “Once the project is reflected in budget documents, it has to be started, but after passing through several stages.”

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2016