GUJRAT: The University of Gujrat (UoG) has announced an end to the pick-and-drop facility for its students belonging to various towns of Gujrat as well as some neighbouring districts seeking admissions to the next semester.

However, the students who were already availing the transport facility would not be affected.

The UoG was the only public sector university in Punjab that offered pick-and-drop facility to its students belonging to Gujranwala, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum and Bhimbher district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir as well as Kharian, Lalamusa, Dinga, Kunjah and Sarai Alamgir towns of Gujrat district since the establishment of its Hafiz Hayat campus in 2006.

The UoG administration claimed that the decision had been taken in the wake of an unprecedented reduction in the Higher Education Commission’s 2019-20 budget for public sector universities.

Students, faculty members, parents and civil society representatives have lodged a strong protest against the decision for which they blamed vested interests. They alleged that the sub-campuses of some private universities as well as of the UoG in the surrounding districts had persuaded the varsity administration to take this decision through bribe.

Admin says decision taken after cut in HEC budget for public varsities

They were of the view that the decision would adversely affect the ratio of new applications, and the acting vice chancellor could not take such a major policy decision without approval from the syndicate. The appointment of a regular VC was just a few days away.

Official sources in UoG said that the transport facility was one of main income-generating sources for the university. The campuses and sub-campuses of both public and private universities in the surrounding districts had not been able to increase their enrollment rates due to the UoG’s transport.

UoG Registrar Dr Tahir Aqeel told Dawn that the administration had taken a difficult decision foreseeing the critical financial circumstances they will likely face after the slash in the HEC budget. The Punjab government had also reduced Rs150 million for the expenditures of Nawaz Sharif Medical College – a constituent college of the UoG -- which would also pose to be a challenge for the varsity.

However, he said, the students who had got admissions in the Fall 2018 semester and before would continue to avail the transport services for almost three years, while the varsity would also launch a shuttle service for students up to the existing points of the service in the city. This service would be available to all students, including those who get admitted to the new semester.

He rubbished involvement in the decision of any vested interests backed by the owners of private and public varieties in the neighbouring districts of Gujrat. He added that as per rule 14 (1) of the UoG Act, the vice chancellor could take such a decision without approval of the syndicate since the bus service was also launched without the body’s approval.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2019