KARACHI, March 13: University of Karachi on average spends 3.5 per cent of its revenue on research and survey, while another 56 per cent goes to salaries and allowances.
During the last few years, the government grants provided to the university have failed to match the salary component of the university budget.
In 2001-2002, the university was given a grant of Rs218.142 million, including a research grant, while during the current fiscal, an amount of Rs226.855 million has been released against a demand and estimate of Rs385.338 million, reveal KU budget documents.
According to official sources, the drastic cuts have seriously affected the university’s programme. Referring to previous years’ grants by the UGC, the university officials said regular grants to the university be increased by at least 10 per cent i.e. up to Rs 216.99 million which with a pay increase of Rs 39.454 million for 2002-2003 comes to Rs 256.444 million, a minimum amount needed to be released by the government to maintain the university’s programme at the existing level.
According to the budget documents, which would be placed at a special meeting of the Syndicate on March 15, the year 2002-2003 is expected to close with a deficit of Rs 88.467 million.
In view of the slash in the government grants, the university has reduced its proposed expenditure from Rs 603.503 million to Rs 555.522 million.
During 2001-2002, the university spent an amount of Rs 262.295 million (55.44 per cent of the actual expenditure) on pay and allowances while for the year 2002-2003, the expenditure under the same head was proposed to be Rs 334.318 million (53.40 per cent), which has now been revised to Rs 335.412million (60.38 per cent).
In 2001-2002, the university spent Rs 19.420 million (4.10 per cent) under the head of research and survey, while the revised expenditure under the same head for 2002-2003 is Rs 16.0 million (2.88 per cent).
Earlier the KU syndicate in its budget meeting of June 29, 2002, had approved Rs 24.500 million (4.06 per cent).
The government approved the regular recurring grant of Rs 197.265 for 2001-2002, which was three per cent more than the amount of the grant of 2000-2001, while the normal rate of inflation is about 10 per cent per annum, added the KU officials and claimed that actual receipts from KU’s own resources during the year in question witnessed an increase of 15 per cent, compared to the year 2000-2001.
Against an anticipated income of Rs 616.466 million, including Rs 380.021 million from the federal government, the university’s finance and planning committee approved the proposed expenditures for the year 2003-2004, which included Rs 344.861 million (55.94 per cent) for salary and allowances, Rs 22.230 million (3.60 per cent) for research and survey, Rs 65.750 million for conduct of examination, Rs 16.750 for books and journals.
The budget estimates for 2003-2004 have been prepared taking into consideration the requirements of the university on a very realistic basis.
The proposed expenditure has increased by 23 per cent, excluding the establishment charges, as compared to the revised budget of 2002-2003, included the KU documents.
The university, which has revised up its earnings from own resources for 2002-2003 from Rs 212.165 million (34.94 per cent) to Rs 224.450 million (48.06 per cent), anticipates an income of Rs 230.445 million (34.94 per cent) during the year 2003-2004.
The major income heads of KU, excluding the government grants for the year 2003-2004 are as follows:
Tuition/registration/admission and enrolment fees-Rs 75million, examination/marks sheet/degree and semester examinations fees-Rs 130.485 million.
The university hopes to conduct examination of about 92,000 regular and external students during the next financial year, which would fetch about Rs 101.250 million. On the other hand, it anticipates an income of Rs 9.49 million through the conduct of semester examinations of the university students.
Meanwhile, the finance committee of the university has decided to drop the practice of allowing encashment of leave salary to its employees in general.
It decided that encashment of leave salary be allowed to few essential staff members who can not be allowed to proceed on leave due to exigency of service.
The committee also resolved that employees availing medical allowances should not be granted other medical facilities, as decided earlier by KU syndicate, while the Director of Finance should process and finalize the proposals for medical insurance policies for employees as well.
The committee also disapproved fresh appointments, creation of budgeted posts or engagement of daily wagers on a regular basis, as under government’s instructions no new jobs can be created, added the KU documents.