The University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore and Punjab University (PU) administration has reacted over Punjab Government’s decision of converting the Gujranwala Campus of PU and Rachna College into a new University of Gujranwala.
The administration of UET has given green signal for the conversion as they believed that this decision will be in favor of UET while the PU administration has strongly opposed the decision and said that the issue will be placed before the PU’s syndicate.
It is pertinent to mention that the HED Punjab in its August 6 letter had directed both the universities to prepare PC-I with inclusive of complete and clear details of revenue and capital components of the project, establishment of the University of Gujranwala.
In a letter to the Higher Education Department (HED) Punjab, PU Registrar Dr Khalid observed that Punjab University had established its Gujranwala Campus from its own resources by purchasing the land, constructing its campus, recruiting its employees and faculty for the campus. “Moreover, students got admission in this campus to secure the degree from the PU,” the letter reads.
“The UET Lahore’s Rachna College of Engineering & Technology, Gujranwala and the PU Sub-Campus at Gujranwala were to be upgraded into an independent University of Gujranwala. The district the administration has been requested to identify the state land measuring around 200 acres for expansion of the university,” reads the letter. The establishment of a new independent university in Gujranwala was an unapproved scheme reflected at GC Sr No 331 ADP 2021-22 at an estimated cost of Rs3 million and with an allocation of just Rs300 million. The department’s letter clarified, “The CM has been pleased to direct that all unapproved schemes, including in ADP 2021-22, whose approving forum is PDWP, may be approved by the respective forum before August 31, 2021.”
The letter further stated that the university’s syndicate meeting on December 11, 2004 had approved the Gujranwala Campus. The letter mentioned the University of the Punjab Act 1973 and observed that PU syndicate has the power “to transfer and accept transfer of movable or immovable property on behalf of the University.”
On the contrary, land for Rachna College of Engineering & Technology, Gujranwala was not purchased by UET Lahore or it was not constructed by UET. Another important fact is that the college UET Act do not allow university to made any constituent college but Rachna College was made a constituent college of the UET Lahore in 2006.
Punjab University Academic Staff Association held its meeting and unanimously adopted resolutions condemning the Punjab government’s move to merge PU’s Gujranwala Campus for University of Gujranwala. The house urged the PU not to place any such item on the agenda of the PU syndicate.
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