PESHAWAR, Aug 22: The official move to give relief to students in various departments of the Peshawar University on self-finance basis has been marred by irregularities, students and official told Dawn.

“Students weren’t informed by the concerned departments about the interviews that took place to waive off fee of under-graduate and post-graduate students currently studying under the self-finance scheme in various departments and colleges”, said, an official.

Last year, the NWFP governor had announced abolition of the self-finance scheme. The students who had taken admission under the scheme were, however, asked to continue their studies. Subsequently the university administration decided to give relief to those enrolled under this scheme.

A central relief committee (CRC) was established to extend financial assistance to students on the grounds of poverty and helplessness. However, it was observed that those who appeared before the CRC with a claim of being ‘deserving’ came in cars.

Thereafter the CRC asked the 30-plus departments of the university to hold internal interviews of the applicants for financial relief because it was observed that the students had been in their respective departments for a year and the staff of these departments could better judge their economic status.

At that time the students were away to their native places due to summer vocations. The departments concerned could not contact all of them and, as a result, many of them could not appear for interviews.

A Mardan-based student said she deserved the relief but was kept uninformed by her department. A daughter of college’s professor, she said that her parents had taken loan to pay her final year’s admission fee.

A head of department, however, said they had acted like post office and had no say in final decision regarding grant of financial relief. “We just forwarded names of the students to the CRC which had the final authority to waive off fee”, he added.

An official at the directorate of admissions, University of Peshawar, said that they had acted in accordance with the lists sent to them by heads of departments. He dispelled the impression that departments acted as post offices and said that they (departments) recommended names for grant of relief to the CRC.

He admitted that many students, who were not informed of the interviews, were deprived of the opportunity.

“This is fault of the departments concerned, because it was their responsibility to inform students of interviews”, he said and added that departments recommended names of rich students who had earlier been rejected by the CRC.