KARACHI, April 18: Despite over Rs11.5 million in its two recently opened bank accounts for establishment and up-gradation of laboratories, more than 90 percent of the labs at the Dawood College of Engineering and Technology (DCET), Karachi, exist only in college prospectus or other officials documents.

Only two labs of basic sciences, 4 engineering labs and two computer labs really exist at the DCET.

Paucity of qualified and trained faculty and nonexistence of labs were the two major reasons for the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) and the NED University to cancel the DCET’s registration and affiliation.

The sources told PPI here on Thursday that the majority of college buildings and space reserved for labs, workshops and foundries had been occupied by rangers since 1995, who have turned them into their messes, recreation halls, offices and bedrooms. The equipments were cornered or moved from the labs. Nobody knows where they went.

According to some faculty members, there is need for 10 engineering and one computer labs besides a foundry for heavy mechanical works, as there are 26 practical subjects for the whole 4-year engineering degree program. These 26 subjects contain 1550 marks, for which labs are an 0absolute necessity.

Only one foundry and one engineering lab exist at the Department of Metallurgical Engineering. The students have to wait for months before to visit these two labs for lack of equipment.

The same problem is faced by the students of Department of Architecture and Planning where there is only one unit operation lab, instead of the required 14 engineering and computer labs. The department course comprises 25 subjects of practical work, having 3100 marks for all 5 years.

The Department of Chemical Engineering, instead 16 engineering and one computer lab, has only one unit operation lab which is currently nonfunctional. The 4-year degree program of chemical engineering consists of 1450 marks with 25 subjects of practical work.

The Department of Electronics Engineering is the most affected departments as all its labs are currently under the use of rangers. The computer-Internet lab is nonfunctional. There exist only one engineering and one computer lab at Department of Industrial engineering, instead of the originally required eight labs. The B.E course in industrial engineering comprises 23 subjects of practical work, having 1300 marks in all 4 years.

Sources at the DCET informed that currently the DCET had over Rs11.5 million in its two bank account- 1528 and 1523- in the National Bank of Pakistan at the Guru Mandir branch, which had been received from the students for the establishment of labs.

The sources said that the students of the 1994-95 had to pay an illegal preparatory fund of Rs15000 annually, whereas the rest of the batches paid Rs25000 annually for the establishment of labs.

“We hardly ever attended any practical class at the DCEt during the last four years, as there are no labs here. If there is any, it is without equipment, even without water and natural gas,” a final year student said.

The students of the Metallurgy Department consider themselves fortunate as their head of the department has kept one or two labs in working condition with his own money and personal interest. However, the DCET authorities have refused to pay him the bills he submitted for what he purchased for labs.—PPI