MINGORA: Provincial Secretary of Higher Education Arshad Khan here on Monday directed the relevant officials to speed up work on the building of Swat University.

He was inspecting the construction work on the university building in Guli Bagh where the university registrar, Mahboob Ali, briefed him.

He visited different sectors of the under construction building of the university and said that Chief Minister Mahmood Khan issued directives to the provincial higher education department to monitor and inspect construction work on weekly basis.

He said that chief minister also wanted the provincial higher education to immediately complete groundwork for the newly approved three universities in Swat including so that classes could be started in all of them from the next session.

Mr Khan said that on the directives of chief minister, 475-kanal government land was acquired for women and engineering universities in Kabal tehsil while government land was also acquired for agricultural university in Malk-i-Dham area in Barikot tehsil.

“More than 500 girl students in zoology, botany, psychology and home economics departments are studying in the rented building of women campus of Swat University. The chief minister wants proper classes begin in the agricultural and women universities of Swat from the next year,” he said.

The secretary said that provincial government released Rs1,640 million for the umbrella project. He said that Rs1,250 million and Rs1,040 million were allocated to civil work of Swat University. He said that the federal government also released Rs924 million and Rs130 million for Swat University.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2019