PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Wednesday passed Rs923 billion budget for fiscal year 2020-21.
Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan while using his constitutional powers approved 60 demands for grants regarding different government departments.
The House also approved the Finance Bill presented by Finance Minister Taimour Salim Jhagra.
PML-N MPA Sobia Shahid while referring to demands for grants of the education department said that students up to matriculation have been promoted due to lockdown but what was the plan about onward students and strategy adopted for teachers who did not get salaries.
ANP parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak called for review of the curriculum by including KP history and establish a college in every tehsil on merit.
MMA MPA Inayatullah claimed that universities were facing financial problems but there was no workable plan to address it.
Naeema Kishwar of MMA said universities have increased fee manifold due to financial problems and government should provide them financial assistance and double the budget of higher education.
ANP’s Bahadar Khan pointed towards shortage of schools in Dir district and urged for reply in this regard.
Advisor for Higher Education Khaleequr Rehman said higher education department has started BS programme in 2017 that continued in more than 100 colleges till to date.
He said shortage of staff in these colleges were being fulfilled and feasibility studies would be prepared for construction of colleges in the deprived districts. He said since 2013, over 100 colleges were constructed by the PTI government and 900 new vacancies were created in the budget 2020-21 besides efforts was underway to establish new universities.
He said financial problems were created due excessive recruitment in universities in the past, adding that public sector universities have demanded Rs3.50 billion till June and additional Rs5 billion would be required by September and HEC would be requested for grant to fulfill the demands. He said Rs one billion were earmarked in the budget for universities.
