Rs3,109 million approved for proposed agriculture university

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A tranche of Rs3,109 million has been approved to establish the proposed Agriculture University in the district.

Talking to this scribe, Vice-Chancellor Dr Masrur Ilahi said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had decided to meet the longstanding demand of the people of the region.

He said the government had decided to upgrade the Agriculture Department of Gomal University to a full-fledged university.

He said a tranche of Rs3,109 million had been approved and only administrative approval was to be obtained, which was expected within a couple of days.

Dr Ilahi said the varsity would stretch over one thousand kanal land, which was to be acquired from Gomal University in line with directives of the chancellor /governor and provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He added Rs1600 million out of the total grant was to be utilized by the end of fiscal 2022/23.

He said the region needed to have an applied science centre, adding the establishment of a chartered university would be a step in the right direction.

He added that in the past the university could not become fully functional due to lack of funds. The vice-chancellor said the university had shown good performance and it was now out of the critical situation.

He said that the provincial cabinet had approved a one-time grant of Rs400 million and transfer of 1,000 kanal land in possession of Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, for the proposed university.

He said a committee had already been constituted by the government to determine the distribution of assets between the Gomal University and Agriculture University.

He added that the committee was to be headed by Commissioner Dera Ismail Khan whereas the secretary Agriculture, secretary Higher Education Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and both the VCs were members of the committee.

The slashing of funds by the federal government and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has created financial problems for the universities that are struggling all over Pakistan to meet their expenditure and pay salaries to the staff, he added.