Chancellor’s Office Issues Instructions for All Universities to Conduct Third-Party Audits Within 6 Months: Faisal Karim Kundi
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi has stated that the Chancellor’s Office has issued instructions for all universities to conduct third-party audits within 6 months. He mentioned that Gomal University should complete its third-party audit process in 2 months instead of 1 month and inform the Chancellor’s Office in writing. He shared these thoughts during a meeting of the 18th Senate of Gomal University, held at the Governor’s House under his chairmanship.
The meeting was attended by the university’s Vice Chancellor Dr. Shakeebullah, Principal Secretary to the Governor Mazhar Irshad, representatives from the Higher Education Department, Finance, and Higher Education Commission, as well as other Senate members and relevant individuals.
The meeting also discussed and approved the annual budgets for the fiscal years 2024-25 and 2023-24, including the budget for Gomal University’s Tank campus.
The Senate approved the budget for the mentioned fiscal year on the condition that it would be reviewed again by the Senate’s standing committee. Additionally, details regarding the transition of Gomal University to solar energy were requested. It was briefed that a total of 80 million rupees have been allocated for solarization in phases, with 40 million from the HEC and the remaining to be covered by the university’s own resources. The complete solarization of the university requires a fund of 480 million rupees.
The briefing also indicated that no new appointments have been made at the university; instead, there is a focus on the promotion of existing employees. Senior faculty and administrative positions are vacant, faculty sizes are extremely low, and the university is working to increase its faculty, student numbers, and resources. It was noted that while federal and HEC grants are standard for universities in the province, provincial grants are not regular. Gomal University’s reform process is significantly better compared to other universities in the province. A provincial grant of 500 million rupees has been allocated in the budget. Ten private buses have been hired for distant students, and there has been no increase in transportation fees. For the first time, charges have been included in the budget for 22 affiliated colleges of Gomal University.
In his speech, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi emphasized that efforts will be made to secure the required funds for the complete transition of Gomal University to solar energy. Discussions with State Life Insurance are underway to bring a scheme for universities, and Gomal University should provide the necessary information to State Life Insurance promptly so that good work can be accomplished and the university can become a role model for other institutions.
He noted some technical issues in the budget preparation, stating that the committee would review the transparency of statistics. He added that the university should have made regular contributions to the pension fund, and currently, Gomal University needs 17 billion rupees solely for pension payments. He expressed a desire for universities to stand on their own feet and increase their resources.
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