GUJRAT, Jan 17: The Punjab government has initiated work on establishment of a university in Gujrat whose classes will be launched this year, according to provincial education minister Mian Imran Masood.

He was presiding over a high-level meeting held at the DCO office, here on Saturday. Prominent among others were CM's adviser on Teacher Training Programme Saadia Chaudhry, higher education special secretary Nazir Saeed, DCO Chaudhry Saadat Ali, EDO (education) Mehr Bashir Ahmad and heads of three local women colleges.

The minister said the purpose of the meeting was to review the formalities for the construction of the university and removal of genuine hurdles in its establishment.

He constituted a committee, comprising MPs and legislators, Nazims, industrialists, lawyers and bureaucrats, to form the university's syndicate. The DCO will be the coordinator of the committee.

The government, he said, had formed a camp office for the Gujrat university in the education department. He said Rs20 million would be spent on the project this year while the chief minister had assured him that more funds for this purpose would be released in the next fiscal year.

He made it clear that no district college had been upgraded for the university, and called it a separate project.

It is pertinent to note that according to a bill passed in the Punjab Assembly on Jan 14, allowing the government to establish a university in Gujrat, the Government College; Government Degree College for Women, Railway Road; Fatima Jinnah College for Women and the Government College for Women, Maraghzar Colony, shall be reconstituted as the university of Gujrat.

However, the minister said, the revenue department had been directed to make arrangements to hire an official piece of land near the Jinnah Public School for the university. He asked the female heads of the three women colleges to give their suggestions on the project.

The VCs said officials against the key posts of treasure, registrar and controller should be appointed at the earliest. At this, the minister directed project director Dr Irshad Naqvi to start work on the project immediately.

At the reception ceremony at local district council hall, the education minister said the Gujrat University shall have jurisdiction all over the province while residents of the Gujranwala division will derive direct benefit from it.He said the university would have syndicate, faculties of arts, science and technology, social sciences, Islamic and Oriental Learning and Management and Administrative Science and engineering.