Sindh’s struggling varsities yearn for funding
VCs write to CM, federal finance minister, seeking budget increase
KARACHI:
For the first time, vice chancellors of Sindh s public varsities have joined forces to pinpoint the massive financial crisis faced by their institutions.
In separate letters to Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, they outline budget deductions over the last two fiscal years. The VCs highlight rising expenditures and demand an immediate increase to maintain/run the varsities.
Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood is addressed in the letter sent to Tareen. A copy has also been dispatched to the Higher Education Commission in Islamabad, the federal finance secretary and the federal HEC secretary. In addition, a copy has also been sent to Sindh Higher Education Commission Chairperson Dr Asim Hussain, additional chief secretary, universities, their boards, and the provincial finance secretary.
PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party has urged the government to release the promised funds to tribal districts under National Finance Commission Award to rebuild the damaged infrastructure and launch new development schemes in the neglected areas.
According to a statement issued here on Sunday, QWP provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao has said that government should implement Fata reforms in letter and spirit and provide all facilities to the tribal people, who were faced with plethora of problems.
Talking to his party’s office-bearers, he said that the entire infrastructure was destroyed in militancy in the former tribal areas. He added that government should take steps on war footing to rebuild the damaged schools and hospitals to mitigate the sufferings of people.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Syed Sardar Shah said that there was an over 22 per cent shortage of water in Sukkur Barrage and 44pc in Kotri Barrage. PPI/File
KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly was told on Friday that there was an acute shortage of water in the province as it was not getting its due share as per the Water Accord 1991 and it could also lead to a water crisis in Karachi and other parts of the province if the situation persisted for 10 more days.
While taking part in the debate on the pre-budget discussion in the house, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Syed Sardar Shah said that there was an over 22 per cent shortage of water in Sukkur Barrage and 44pc in Kotri Barrage.
ANP MPA submits notice for including merged districts in NFC award
Peshawar
May 7, 2021
PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) MPA Nisar Mohmand submitted a call attention notice at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Secretariat on Thursday, asking for including newly-merged tribal districts in the upcoming National Finance Commission Award.
In his call attention notice, Nisar Mohmand, elected from Mohmand district, said that the provincial government was responsible to include the erstwhile tribal areas into the National Finance Commission award and raise its voice for three percent share in the federal divisible pool.
He stated that the former tribal areas had been merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa three years ago and the federal government had pledged that the newly merged districts would not only be given a special financial package but also three percent share would be specified for the development of the newly merged tribal districts. However, neither the federal government nor the
Amid uncertain circumstances following the resurgence of Covid-19 cases in the third wave of the pandemic, the government expects GDP to grow at a rate of 4.2 per cent in the next fiscal year (2021-22), further up 4.6pc in 2022-23 and 5.1pc in 2023-24.
The medium-term growth trajectory builds on the revised GDP growth estimate of 2.9pc for the current fiscal year, significantly higher than the budget target of 2.1pc and negative 0.4pc last fiscal year.
The Medium-Term Macroeconomic Framework 2023-24 is, however, prepared by the government on the basis of a long wish-list under the revived International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme that the government keeps talking about renegotiating after approving the medium-term budget strategy paper. “Over the medium-term, the government will focus on various policy measures to achieve sustainable inclusive growth,” says the Ministry of Finance. The list of these policy measures based on deep-impact reforms is unending.