JHANG: Students and their parents have expressed their grave concern over what they say lack of interest of the authorities to build campus of the University of Jhang (UoJ) on Gojra Road for which funds will lapse in June this year.

On the other hand, the higher education commission (HEC) has written a letter to the Punjab planning and development department with the direction to reallocate the funds [already lying at the disposal of UoJ] due to inordinate delay by the quarters concerned. Land for the campus has already been purchased.

The university classes, in the meantime, are being held in a portion of Ghazali College which also houses office of the vice chancellor and other relevant offices.

The University of Jhang officially came into being about three years ago and the classes were started in a portion of Ghazali Degree College.

The [university] syndicate was also nominated and the vice chancellor was appointed who started work in his office at the Ghazali College [temporary] campus. Land for the building was purchased on Gojra Road and the government set aside Rs1.20 billion for the construction of university building.

A chunk of Rs100 million was released and transferred to the university account to be spent in financial year 2019-20, while the remaining amount was to be released in 2020-21.

The university authorities could spend only Rs1m on the project so far and the remaining Rs99m lies unutilised in the [varsity] account. The amount will lapse if unutilised till June year.

The citizens of Jhang have urged the government no to reallocate the funds sanctioned for the UoJ for any other project and action be taken against those responsible for delay in utilisation of funds.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2020