HEC closes various programs amid cut of 4 billion in budget
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—To express the anger on cutting the 4 billion rupees from the budget , Higher Education Commission (HEC) closed down many of its programs that had been initiated to improve the quality of teaching , research, libraries, laboratories and other facilities of universities including 4-year degree program.
The documents available with the weekly “pulse” show that Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, while giving presentation to the senate standing committee on education , science and technology clearly expressed his anger on ministry of finance and said that under section 10(g) of HEC ordinance provides that HEC will submit to the federal government the recurring and development budgets for public sector institutions and allocate funds to public sector institutions out of bulk financial provision received from the government and other resources on performance and need basis.
He told that in view of the above decisions we demanded to finance ministry to allocate 15.740 billion rupees to universities for 2006-07 but allocation reflected in budget book , the allocation of recurring grant for universities was shown as RS. 11.280 billion and that was insufficient for us. He also refused to abide by the federal government decision regarding 15 % increase in pay from 1-7-2006 and said that due to this additional impact on this count in respect of universities would be 1.275 billion rupees which needs to be provided in addition to the allocated grant.
HEC chairman also demanded additional 7.320 billion rupees for implementation of HEC programs like 4-year degree , tenure track system , PERN , digital library and research etc but ministry of finance agreed to provide 6.2 billion rupees . He made it clear that due to cut in budget he would not be in position to continue 4-year degree program started throughout the country and this would create chaos and disturbances.
A number of programs have been initiated to improve the quality of teaching , research , libraries , laboratories and other facilities in universities . these programs will be hindered unless sufficient are provided , he told the senators. HEC also closed down its digital library and E-books program while HEC chairman also told that we have completed more than 120 development projects and now their recurring liabilities need to be shifted to recurring budget.
Commission informed the committee that the institutes and programs initiated under these projects would have to be shut down and the universities will not be able to pay to the teachers and other staff , the 15% increase in salary announced by the government in current year budget . DR. Atta was of the view that universities own source of income was tuition fee only and if fee were increased then students would agitate .
The finance ministry sources had the view that HEC , s estimates were to high and it was not possible for us to allocate all required funds that had demanded and we cut demand of every ministry , division so HEC ,s point of view was not based on fact that any discrimination were made to them , the sources said .
One of the prominent educationist of country criticized HEC policies regarding promotion of higher education in the country and said that Dr Atta was demanding money but our basic problem was the standard of education and that is no where still . its good that teachers salary has been increased and government introduced PHD policy as well as the numbers of universities were also planed to be increased but in this era we have the need of quality education not quantity so HEC should think about this.