LAHORE: As many as 56 public colleges in Punjab are working without principals despite tall claims of the government about improving the standard of education in the province.

These colleges without principals are creating various academic and administrative problems.

The Higher Education Department (HED) statistics available with Dawn show that five of these colleges are in the provincial capital, Lahore; Science College Wahdat Road, Post Graduate College Gulberg, M.A.O College, Fatima Jinnah College for Women and Dyal Singh College.

Punjab Professors and Lecturer Association (PPLA) former president Abdul Khaliq regretted that despite conducting interviews of the candidates the government had yet to post principals in these colleges. As a result, the vacant posts had been given as additional charge to junior teachers creating issues, he added.

He said the government had announced a policy to appoint senior teachers as principals, but it was not being implemented.

Mr Khaliq said most of the principals of these colleges were working on an ad hoc basis, demanding that this adhocism should be done away with to bring improvement there by making regular appointments.

Colleges wing Director Public Instructions (DPI) Dr Ashiq Hussain Baloch said most of these posts were lying vacant after the retirement of the teachers.

He said the department was working to conduct online interviews for the posts due to Covid-19 pandemic and soon all these slots in the province would be filled.

However, the HED has so far advertised the vacant post of principals of 21 colleges, including Dyal Singh College, Zamindar College Gujrat, College for Women Mustafabad, M.A.O College Lahore, College of Commerce Sheikhupura, College of Commerce Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiq College of Commerce Bahawalpur, Islamia College for Women Hafizabad, College for Boys Chunian, College for Women Nawabpur Multan, College for Boys, Abdul Hakim Khanewal, College for Boys Fatehpur, Layyah, College for Boys Muridke, College for Women Muridke, College for Women Ferozwala, College for Women College Road Gujranwala, Degree College (Boys) Shorkot, Girls Degree College Jhang City, Alamdar Hussain Islamia Degree College Multan, Wilayat Hussain Islamia Degree College Multan and Zainab Degree College for Women Multan.

PITB: Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Board of Revenue (BoR) and Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) for property registration.

As per the MoUs, PITB will facilitate in initiating a number of their services including registry and mutation at 10 e-Khidmat Maraakaz in Punjab.

Senior Member Board of Revenue Punjab (SMBR) Babar Hayat Tarrar, PITB Chairman Azfar Manzoor, PLRA Director IT Osama Bin Saeed, Land Record BOR Director Nadeem Abbas Bhango, PITB DG e-Governance Sajid Latif, PITB ADG CFS Muhammad Waseem Bhatti and other senior officials were present at the MoU signing ceremony.

On behalf of the PITB, DG e-Governance Sajid Latif signed the MoUs with PLRA IT Director Osama Bin Saeed and BoR Land Record Director Nadeem Abbas Bhango, respectively.

Briefing the media, SMBR Mr Tarar said that in a few weeks, citizens would be able to obtain property registries under one-window operation at e-Khidmat centres.

He said acquiring stamp papers, submission and approval of property registries, and mutation processes will also be made possible through this initiative under one roof and the process would now be completed within hours.

Mr Tarar also mentioned that this initiative would not only facilitate the citizens, but also elevate Pakistan in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking.

He said Chief Minister Usman Buzdar would launch the services offered through this initiative in the coming weeks.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2020