Colleges asked to pay for advertisement

Deputy director says directorate has no funds for publicity

LAHORE

Instead of utilising its own funds or asking the Finance Department, Directorate of Colleges, Lahore, has started eyeing the meagre funds the public sector colleges have in the form of welfare fund or fine fund for a job the directorate will perform. 

The demonstration of this development is a letter to the principals of seven colleges by the director colleges, Lahore, who has demanded Rs 76, 480 from these colleges for publishing a tender notice to start a purchase process. Interestingly, the purchase is not meant for four of the colleges being ‘forced’ to pool their money. 

“Due to non-availability of funds, this directorate is unable to pay the bills. Therefore, it has been decided that the total expenditure may be divided amongst all the concerned institutions and the share may be got from the concerned principals/ project directors to meet out the expenses of Rs 76,480”, reads the letter by the director colleges, Lahore division. 

In 2014 the Punjab government centralised the purchase process for colleges entrusting directorate of colleges at each divisional headquarters to carry out the purchase process instead of purchase by each college on individual basis. 

According to the tender notice, purchase worth over Rs 70 million will include furniture fixture, medical laboratory and equipment, books and IT equipment, for Government Islamia College, Civil Lines, Lahore, Government Degree College for Women, Kahna Nau, Lahore, Government Degree College for Boys, Kahna Nau Lahore, Government Degree College for Boys, Chung, Lahore, Government Degree College for Boys, Thokar Niaz Baig, Lahore, Government Degree College for Boys, Lidhar Baidian, Lahore and Government Degree College for Boys, Safdarabad, Sheikhupura. 

The four colleges for which this particular purchase is not meant but still their principals, being project directors, will have to ‘cooperate’ are: Government Degree College for Women, Chung, Lahore, Government College for Boys, Model Town, Lahore, Government Khawaja Rafique Shaheed College, Walton Road, Lahore and Government PG College, Sheikhupura.   

Sources privy to the development said while almost all the colleges were concerned over the abrupt demand of money, the four of the colleges were really upset as these colleges were just acting as ‘facilitators’. 

A principal seeking anonymity said the title project director did not mean anything since the purchase was done by the Directorate of College. “The project director will only see if the equipment etc has been delivered or not”, he said and questioned as to why the colleges with the mandate of project directors should bear the financial burden. Another principal termed the move ‘strange’ questioning if the government had funds for the purchase why it could not bear the expenses for the advertisement? He also said the colleges would have to manage this amount either from the welfare fund or the fine fund collected from the students. 

When contacted, Deputy Director, Colleges, Muhammad Zahid Mian, who is having additional charge of the post of Director Colleges, Lahore, said funds were not available with the directorate for paying the advertisement bill, therefore, it was decided to divide the total expenditure among the colleges. 

Zahid said some of the colleges for which equipment was being purchased were new and not functional. He said the principals acting as project directors would bear the expenditure on ‘loan basis’ which would be returned by the colleges once functional.