PU to spend research funds on students’ transportation

LAHORE:Punjab University (PU) administration has re-appropriated research funds amounting to Rs30 million to the university’s Transport Wing for the payment of POL bills of student buses, The News has learnt.

The move has invited criticism from the university teachers who argue that research funds should be used solely for their intended purpose to advance academic pursuits and maintain the integrity of the research enterprise.

It is learnt that PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood had already sanctioned these funds amounting to Rs30 million from the university’s budget head ‘Lumpsum Provision for Research–Improvement of Education)’ to the university’s Transport Wing in anticipation of approval of the university’s Finance & Planning Committee/ Syndicate on April 5. However, as per the document available with The News, the same was presented as an agenda item in the PU Syndicate meeting held on April 29 for formal approval.

Although the re-appropriation of research funds for POL bills of the university buses was formally approved in the meeting, a number of PU teachers (members of the Syndicate) criticised the move even during the meeting.

PU Syndicate members, including Dr Asghar Iqbal and Dr Muhammad Islam, were prominent among those who had opposed the move. Dr Islam had also recorded his note of dissent. It is pertinent to mention that there are a total of six members from the faculty side in the Syndicate four from each teaching cadre, a Dean nominated by Governor/Chancellor and one Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC). The PVC Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood has been performing as the VC since the top seat is vacant these days.

Talking to The News, Dr Islam said he had opposed the move since the amount was meant to be spent for research. ‘Our research funds are already stagnant despite the ever growing inflation,’ he said and added in such a scenario it was not prudent to re-appropriate the same for the transport of the students.

Dr Islam said that the VC kept insisting that it was a one-time arrangement as the university was facing some financial issues and was unable to run the university buses for the students. He said the representative of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and former president of PU Academic Staff Association (ASA) Prof Dr Mumtaz Anwar had also expressed concern over the move.

PU-ASA Secretary Dr Amjad Abbas Khan Magsi told The News that the hefty amount of Rs30 million could have been used for research related activities as the faculty members were already facing difficulties in meeting the expenses for travel grants abroad to present research papers and participate in training. ‘There is a cap of Rs300,000 for travel grants for the last many years. The inflation and the capping of the funds for the faculty has made it really difficult to carry on research activities,’ he added.

Dr Magsi said that the funds for research were mostly under-used due to cumbersome processes by the university authorities. ‘This does not create an encouraging environment for the research culture,’ he added.

When contacted PU Vice-Chancellor Dr Khalid Mahmood said that the funds re-appropriated were already allocated to the university teachers who get reimbursement as soon as they submit a demand to the university. ‘We are ready to reimburse any amount claimed by our teachers,’ the VC said and added there were other heads to adjust these claims.

However, he said since the fiscal year was about to end and the university had allocated a budget for POL related charges on previous diesel rates, it was becoming impossible to run the university buses to bring poor students from remote areas such as Sheikhupura and Kasur to the university.

Prof Khalid Mahmood said that as the budget for the next fiscal year was being prepared, more funds would be allocated for research. He said the university had allocated a total of over Rs160 million for research and added he had assured the teachers that research funding would be increased in the upcoming budget.