QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo has approved a Rs300 million bailout package for the University of Balochistan, which has been unable to pay salaries and pension to its academic and administrative staff amid a financial crunch.
He approved the package based on a summary sent by the provincial higher education department. The package is aimed at paying the salaries of the university’s employees and resolving other financial issues immediately.
The Balochistan University Academic Staff association disclosed that the university had not paid salaries and pension to its employees for the last two months.
Almost all the eight public sector universities in Balochistan are facing a financial crisis due to insufficient funds.
Education Minister Mir Naseebullah Marri said an HEC delegation was due in Quetta in a couple of days to discuss the issue and find a solution to the crisis.
Official sources said the provincial higher education department had taken the issue with the provincial authorities and sent a summary of a bailout package to the chief minister, who approved it. “Though the provincial government itself faces a lack of financial resources due to a delay in the transfer of Balochistan’s share in the federal resources under the National Finance Commission award, the chief minister has given priority to release funds to resolve the financial issue of the high educational institution,” a senior official of the Balochistan government told Dawn.
The Balochistan government had already released Rs2.5 billion to provide grant-in-aid to all the eight public sector universities of Balochistan a few months ago.
The provincial government allocated Rs5bn for public universities in the budget.
Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2022
