OKARA: The University of Education (UoE) Lahore’s letter to the Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) secretary to make arrangements for ‘financial affairs’ of an Okara varsity has panicked the employees of the (last named) institution.

The University of Okara (UoO) employees including the academics have expressed apprehension that their next month’s salaries may be delayed if the higher education authorities fail to timely address the issues highlighted in the letter.

The UoE (Lahore) has hitherto paid salaries to all the employees of the Okara varsity under an agreement. On Sept 29, UoE treasurer Dr Muhammad Arif had written a letter informing the Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) secretary that the UoE Lahore had been paying salaries to the Okara university employees since April 2016, when it was established.

“The university submitted budget estimates for the financial year 2016-17 to the Punjab government and the HED Lahore on Aug 15, 2016, but despite frequent visits of UoO staff to the HED Lahore the budget was not released for 2016-17 despite allocation.

“The same budget of UoO for FY 2017-18 was not released also. So it would be difficult to start the new academic session,” reads the letter.

The Special Drawing Account (SDA) in respect of UoO was opened on June 15, 2017, according to the letter issued by the Punjab Finance Department. The UoE, according to the letter, has borne the expense of Rs103.24 million as payment of salaries to the Okara varsity employees up to August 2017. As the UoE is in deficit, it is unable to bear further expenses of the Okara institution and will manage to pay salaries till September. The letter demanded that the HED secretary help release funds to the Okara varsity to enable it to pay its employees from October out of its own resources.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2017