PU administration dismissed Jamiat’s allegations

Lahore: Punjab University Registrar Prof Dr Liaqat Ali has said that under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Punjab University has not increased tuition fee in the last 7 years and was charging lowest fee as compared to all other public and private sector universities. He said that in terms of utility charges, PU was not shifting burden to the pocket of poor students and providing subsidies and scholarships worth millions of rupees.

He was addressing a press conference at committee room of Undergraduate Study Centre flanked by Chairman Hall Council Prof Dr Muhammad Akhtar, Controller Examinations Prof Dr Shahid Munir, Director Students Affairs Shahid Gul, Incharge ICS Dr Noshina Saleem, Additional Registrar 1 Dr Kamran Abid, Acting Treasurer Rao Muhammad Sharif, Resident Officer I Dr Sajid Rashid Ahmad and Additional Registrar II Malik Muhammad Zaheer.

Addressing the press conference, Dr Ali said that PU had the largest transport system with 60 buses in its fleet and was providing travel facilities to the students on the lowest rates.  He said that PU busses were operating far-reaching areas i.e Kamonke, Kasur and students were travelling for only 9 rupees daily.

“PU is providing a subsidy of worth millions of rupees on bearing diesel expenditures,” he added. He said that the PU administration was purchasing buses every year and it had recently purchased three new buses. “No any other university in Pakistan was providing such transport facilities to the students,” he added. Dr Ali said that all the morning students were being provided with hostel accommodation on merit and PU was charging minimum fees and providing maximum subsidy as compared to other public and private sector universities. He said that it was clear published in the admission advertisement that the students of evening classes shall not be provided with hostel accommodation.

He said that on the directive of Dr Mujahid Kamran, PU was providing free education and residential facilities to more than 100 Balochistani students being admitted every year. Moreover, he said, PU was providing a scholarship of worth Rs 3,000 to every Balochistani student per month. He stated that the incumbent administration had set new records in faculty development, establishment of laboratories, capacity building of students and research activities. He said that the facilities being provided by Punjab University to its students were not being provided even in the universities of developed countries. He said that Islami Jamiat Talaba was not a representative body of PU students because no elections were held as per ban imposed by Honorable Supreme Court.

He said that IJT had called outsiders and non-student elements to take out rally and Punjab University students had rejected them. Presenting facts and figures, PU Acting Treasurer Rao Muhammad Sharif said that PU was taking 127 million rupees from regular students but was providing scholarships of worth Rs 108.68 million the students while 11 million rupees were being spent on students’ affairs. He stated that moreover, PU was providing free of cost education to disabled, position holders, students of flood affected areas and players admitted on sports basis.

He said that PU was charging 15,765 rupees per year for providing hostel accommodation to a student but other public sector universities were charging at least double fees while PU was spending a huge amount of money worth Rs 155 million in order to provide subsidy to the students residing in hostels. Presenting fees comparison of various degree programs being offered by PU and other public section general universities in Lahore, he said that other universities were charging at least 2 to 3 times more fees than Punjab University for the same degree programs.

He said that in terms of electricity, PU was taking 115 million rupees from students but was spending 353 million rupees to pay electricity bills, thus providing a subsidy of 237 million rupees and this burden was not being shifted to the poor students. He said that in terms of providing transport facility, PU was taking 90 million rupees from students while spending 141 million rupees, thus providing a subsidy of Rs 50 million. He said that despite expenditures were increasing and grant from Higher Education Commission was decreasing every year, PU had not increased single rupee in terms of tuition fee, which was almost 100 rupees per month per student. In order to provide internet facility to the students, PU was providing a subsidy of 15 million rupees, he added.