ISLAMABAD – The Higher Education Commission (HEC) could not act upon the directive of the former Prime Minister to release Rs 1 billion additional funding for educational institutions of Multan, as former PM also could not fulfil his pledge to get released the remaining budget from the Finance Ministry.According to information, former Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had directed the HEC administration to release additional funds of Rs 1 billion for the educational institutes of Multan. “HEC is already releasing funds of Rs 1 billion to Multan educational institutes on yearly basis but to strengthen his political dominance, the former prime minister wanted a considerable increase in the overall funding by HEC to Multan,” an official informed wishing not to be named.The HEC had declined to provide even a single additional rupee citing financial constraints and requested the former PM first to help release the pending amount of the Commission. It was decided that an additional amount of Rs 1 billion would be released to Multan soon after the release the pending amount to the Commission by the Ministry of Finance.The former prime minister assured the Commission in early June 2012 before his disqualification as per the orders of the Supreme Court that all of the pending amount would be released to the Commission before the end of the fiscal year 2011-12. But after the disqualification of Gilani the pending amount to the Commission could not be released at all. However, only Rs 2 billion were released out of outstanding dues of the Commission on the instruction of PM Raja Pervez Ashraf before the end of the last fiscal year.The Commission was allocated Rs 14 billion as development budget and Rs 31.5 billion as recurring budget in fiscal year 2011-12. But it received Rs 24.3 billion out of Rs 31.5 billion allocated in the budget 2011-12 for recurring budget while remaining 23 per cent of the amount was not released by the Ministry of Finance. The Commission was allocated Rs 14 billion in the fiscal year 2011-12 for 177 development projects. The shortfall of development grant is Rs 4.237 billion (30 per cent) against the approved allocation of Rs 14 billion for the year.