For the first time ever, the vice-chancellors (VCs) of public universities in Sindh have spoken up about the worst possible financial crisis and budget cuts of billions of rupees.
The VCs have jointly issued separate letters highlighting the budget cuts and the rising expenditures over the last two financial years to the Federal Minister for Finance, Shaukat Tareen, and Sindh’s Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah. They have also demanded an immediate increase of several billion rupees in the budget to maintain and run their universities.
The letter also addresses the Federal Minister for Education, Shafqat Mahmood, and copies of it have also been sent to the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the Federal Secretary of Finance, and the Federal Secretary HEC.
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The letter mentioned that the federal government had allocated a budget of Rs. 64 billion for higher education in the current financial year which was Rs. 1 billion less than for the previous financial year. The Finance Division had estimated the total expenditure of public universities to be Rs. 103 billion. Due to this, some universities are unable to pay the salaries and pensions of their staffers.
The letter detailed that the federal government intends to increase the pensions and salaries by 15 to 20 percent in the next budget besides an increment in the higher education budget. It added that such a situation will increase the fiscal deficit of Sindh’s public universities from 30 percent to 50 percent.
The letter stated that in an assessment of 17 public universities in Sindh, the HEC had estimated their annual expenditure to be Rs. 31 billion. Despite this, they had received only Rs. 7.83 billion from the HEC and produced Rs. 12 billion from their own incomes, while the provincial government contributes Rs. 5 billion.
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These universities face an annual deficit of Rs. 6 billion. Additionally, the provincial government has increased the pensions and salaries by 10 percent in the last two financial years, leaving these 17 universities in a terrible deficit.
In view of this situation, the letter demanded that the budget of Rs. 7.83 billion allocated for Sindh’s public universities be increased to Rs. 15 billion.
The letter also said that even if the pattern of NFC awards is taken into account, the grant to Sindh’s universities would be Rs. 16 billion. The VCs also requested a meeting with the Sindh Chief Minister on the issue.
