LARKANA: The stand-off between the management of Shah Abdul Latif University (Salu) Khairpur and Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) Sukkur region over the issue of clearing the old payments of the teachers has impacted the annual examination of different degree programmes, it emerged on Sunday.

SPLA regional president Mushtaque Ahmed Phulpoto told Dawn that they were simply pressing the Salu authority to clear the backlog, but it had skipped the commitment.

The SPLA demanded payment of the assessment and centre payments of years 2019 and 2020 of the staff that had performed duties in different examinations, he said, adding that instead of fulfilling the promise, the varsity amidst the strained situation had twice postponed the annual examinations of Associate Degree in Arts, Associate Degree in Science, B.Com and postgraduate examinations.

Earlier, these exams were scheduled for Sept, 18, but were postponed till Oct 25 due to payment issue with SPLA, and now were rescheduled for Nov 15, said the regional president.

“Our stand is clear. Clear the outstanding payments or the SPLA will not only reject the new schedule, but will also choose to remain away from conducting the examinations on the date fixed,” he said.

“Of 400 cheques for the invigilators, only 80 were given, and of 100 which were for the professors who had performed duties as externals, only five were given,” he said.

Currently, 65 colleges were affiliated with Salu that, according to SPLA, pay the varsity around Rs1.5 billion per year in the shape of admissions, examination fees and colleges’ affiliation charges, he maintained.

Against it, he said, the outstanding payments to be made to the staff stands out to be Rs50 million to Rs80m.

“Where other amount goes is a big question mark,” he said.

When you ignore the institutions which served as ‘source of income’ for the institution, he said, things would be complicated.

“These examinations were due in 2021, but are a year late where the end sufferers are the candidates whose one year would go down the drain,” Mr Phulpoto stressed.

“Till zero payment, means clearance of all dues by the university, the SPLA would not be the part of the examinations,” he reiterated.

“I have contacted the vice chancellor of the Salu Khairpur, its director finance and controller of examinations to hammer out the solution, but matter is yet to be resolved,” he said.

Another serious issue was that the varsity had declared a large number of students ‘fail’ on variety of reasons which SPLA believed was injustice with the candidates who, according to the concerned colleges records, had not only appeared in the examinations, but also obtained passing marks.

“This is intentional and deliberate move of the varsity,” he said, adding that the students would financially suffer.

The SPLA had proposed the institute to constitute a committee to assess and save students’ precious year, but it declined, he claimed.

SPLA regional joint secretary Prof Lal Kalhoro, who teaches Zoology in Government Girls Degree College Larkana, told Dawn that the award lists saved with the department showed students ‘pass’ which had been declared fail by the varsity which was unfortunate.

He said that recently 17 such cases were referred from Salu to him where the ‘failed’ students turned out to be ‘pass’ according to original record.

He opined that perhaps it was a designed mechanism to upset the students.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2022