KARACHI, July 6: The governor of Sindh has disapproved a proposal regarding denationalization of two major city colleges as the ex-owners did not come up to the relevant criteria, said the sources in the Sindh education department.

It was learnt that the Sindh education department had sent a summary to the governor, recommending the denationalization of St Joseph’s College for Women and St Patrick’s College, Karachi, which was finally rejected as the Catholic Board of Education, the claimant for the two colleges, was not ready to fulfil the set criteria approved by the Sindh cabinet about a year back.

Though the education department was willing to hand over the buildings of the two colleges nationalized under MLR 118 in 1972, back to the CBE, but their clear cut denial to accept the government criteria for denationalization did not help at all. In view of a CBE’s letter of June 14 to the education department, the chief secretary of Sindh, while forwarding the related summary to the governor for consideration, had noted that since the ex-owners were not fulfilling the set criteria, the case was not acceptable and might be put to an end.

Sources said that the CBE representatives, who had been impressing upon the education department’s officials that they enjoyed the support of President General Pervez Musharraf on the issue of denationalization of their two college, finally, in their letter of June 14, gave their terms of acceptance. They said that it would not be possible for them to meet any financial obligations in case of denationalization, added the source.

The CBE desired the department to waive off some of the major conditions such as retaining the existing teaching and non-teaching staff for a year after taking back the colleges and pay them salary as per government structure during the period. The Board had also expressed its inability to contribute 50 per cent towards golden handshake to the staff in question, in case it did not need their services after a year.

Sources said that the Board had also requested to the education department to waive off the conditions of paying any amount in return of the denationalization of the two colleges. They added that the CBE in its letter had pointed out that it wanted handing over of the two colleges latest by June 30, 2002 on “as-is where is” basis.

It was further learnt that after the rejection of the department’s summary, the CBE has been informed accordingly by the education department and the case for the denationalization of the two colleges has also been shelved for the time being.