ISLAMABAD - Vice Chancellor Allama Iqbal Open University, Prof Dr Ali Asghar Chishti, on Friday assured that AIOU would not compromise on quality education at all and resolve the issues being faced by the students and employees on priority basis.
In an interaction with media after assuming charge of vice chancellor, he said that a seven-member committee constituted by the university to review the academic structure would come up with viable solutions to strengthen the examination system, admission procedures and degree value. Dr Chishti said the university, following the suggestions of the committee, would take initiatives to remove the loopholes in the existing academic structure.
Listing the recent initiatives taken by the university, newly appointed Registrar AIOU, Dr Nowshad Khan, informed that the university had issued longstanding notification regarding Employees Welfare Association (EWA) elections held last year, restoring its legal status.
The university has removed private security guards who were engaged by previous administration about six months back without any justification on Rs 80,000 each, he said.
Dr Nowshad informed the university would convene meeting of departmental promotion committee to consider longstanding promotions of employees from grade-1 to grade-16. The meeting of selection board for senior grades will also be convened.
The university has also issued pending job confirmation orders on completion of probation period to 14 employees and also approved outstanding cases of 25 employees.
He said that transfer orders of officers, who were transferred from main campus to regional campuses by former vice chancellor without adequate reasons, had been cancelled. Special Eid Allowance for 22 employees, which was earlier stopped, has also been released, he added.
Assistant Professor Majid Rashid, who was earlier transferred to another department without justification, has been sent back to his previous department. Assistant Professors Dr Muhammad Ajmal and Dr Fazal-ur-Rehman, who were earlier removed from their positions, have been appointed as in-charges of their respective departments, he said.
Head of Department of Mass Communication, Dr Abdul Siraj, and Head of English Department, Prof Dr Abdul Hafeez, were also present on the occasion.
AJK PM SET TO MEET NAWAZ FOR FUNDS RELEASE
In a bid to ensure completion of hundreds of under-construction schools in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister AJK Chaudhry Abdul Majid is expected to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif shortly for release of funds.
AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majid told the same to the concerned officials of Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) on Friday. “Ensure early completion of under-construction schools of girls and boys in Azad Jammu & Kashmir so that students can be provided with quality education across the territory,” Majid said during his meeting with Deputy Chairman ERRA, Maj Gen Muhammad Asif Azeem. The AJK PM visited ERRA headquarters and discussed the under-construction projects in the quake-hit areas of the state in detail.
A press note issued here said that the AJK PM appreciated the completion of various development projects in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Dhirkot and Rawalakot districts.
The AJK PM assured that he would call on Prime Minister Sharif and Planning Commission high-ups to plead early release of required funds for the projects. He agreed that construction process was slow due to paucity of funds and it had also resulted in cost escalation.
The deputy chairman ERRA apprised the AJK prime minister of the ongoing and new projects in AJK cities and rural areas. He said that ERRA needed Rs 15 billion more for speedy completion of school projects in AJK. He urged if the federal government increased fiscal allocation by Rs 20 billion then it would be helpful for completion of other projects too. He said that more than 6,000 projects of different nature had been completed. The ERRA has planned to construct 85 new projects, which will cost Rs 27 billion, he added. He said that development of various facilities including sports stadiums, community centres and water and sewerage system would further improve the quality of life in urban areas.