Soft loan for construction of hostel at UAF approved

FAISALABAD: The University of Agriculture Faisalabad Endowment Fund’s Board of Directors meeting approved soft loan for employees and construction of an executive hostel at the campus to facilitate the campus community.
The soft loan will be initiated with the seed money of Rs 10 million. The meeting was chaired by UAF Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan whereas ALP Executive Director Ahmad B Maher, PARB Chief Executive Officer Dr Noorul Islam, Farmers Associates Chief Executive Aafaq Ahmad Tiwana, Natiq Ali, UAF Registrar Muhammad Hussain, Treasurer Umar Saeed and Endowment Fund Executive Director Dr Zahir Ahmad Zahir were present in the meeting.
The UAF VC said that agriculture was the backbone of our economy, contributing 21 per cent to the gross domestic product. He said that the UAF was the mother of all agri based educational institutions in the country. He said that the UAF by design take the students from the four corners of the country with district based quota.
He said that the UAF was mandated for the food security and rural development of the country. He said that the UAF was making efforts for the said cause by taking all possible steps in term of education, research and outreach programmes. He lauded the steps being taken on the part of Endowment Fund for the promotion of research, outreach programmes of the UAF. He said that the USAID Funded Centre for Advanced Studies (Agriculture and Food Security) had started functioning.
He thanked the Punjab government for setting up a hostel for 1,000 students. He said that the Higher Education Commission had also approved a hostel for 1000 students. Dr Zahir Ahmad said that all possible measures were being taken to address the problems of the farming community through research and outreach programmes.
He said that endowment was meant for facilitating the staff for the said noble cause. He said that the Expo Centre of the UAF would be equipped with air conditions. Umer Saeed presented the budget of Endowment Fund worth Rs 816 million.