LAHORE: Except for the Punjab University and the Government College University (GCU), other public universities did not meet the Higher Education Department’s deadline, April 27, to make new appointments through advertisements. A vice-chancellor (VC) called the HED direction as interference in the autonomy of universities.

The HED wrote on March 26 to VCs to make appointments as per the directions of the Public Accounts Committee, which included that check lists be implemented at every step of recruitment and the checklists must contain the context of relevant rules and regulations.

Another checklist will be for the treasurer/finance director for issuance of pay slip/start of pay which must include copy of relevant newspaper advertisement as a mandatory condition.

For the existing pay roll data, universities were directed to carry out an internal audit to identify similar cases of appointment without advertisement on its own with a confirmatory report to HED in one month on April 27.

Dawn contacted several universities in the city and learned only the PU administration had not extended the jobs of 105 contract employees. Of them, 40 are teachers and others from the administration.

An official said more than 600 employees, including visiting teachers and security guards, were working on contract and most of the contracts would end by July.

He said the university administration had not fired any one but they were not renewing their contracts to get their further services.

Faisal Shehzad, a former manager of the PU Executive Club, told Dawn that he was recently fired from the job where he worked for 13 years. During the tenure, the administration kept hiring him on six months contract while the last four contracts were of three months each.

He said the post of the club manager was advertised three to four times but the selection board was never convened.A spokesperson for the GCU said they had 80 contract employees, such as teachers, security guards and administration staff.

He said employees were hired after advertising posts on their official website and selection committee had interviewed and selected them. However, he said, they had started the procedure to initiate implementing new guidelines by the HED. However, other universities in the province had not taken any action against the contract employees.

Most of the universities said that they were looking into the matter.

A VC told Dawn that the HED letter was an attempt to challenge the autonomy of the universities.

He said universities administration could hire any expert of the subject on contract after getting approval from its syndicate to avoid lengthy process of recruitment.

He said permanent employees were hired through following the procedure mentioned in the HED letter.

He also said that the universities often hire retired teachers of its campuses on contract to maintain higher education standard.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2018