Daily Times

LARKANA: The Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU), Larkana, is facing administrative crisis due to lack of permanent faculty, mismanagement in funds and political influence in the administrative matters of the university.

Earlier in 2016, the Sindh High Court, Larkana, ordered for the appointment of permanent Registrar in the university within two months but the government of Sindh failed to post a person for the seat and violated the order of honourable court.

Dr: Afsar Bhutto was appointed as Registrar SMBBMU for two months by the Sindh government who still holds the office, which is sheer violation of the order of the court. The resignation of SMBBMU Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof: Dr. Ghulam Asghar Channa was accepted on August 1, and Prof: Ghulam Murtaza Pathan took the charge of the office as interim VC  who is still continuing the office as the government of Sindh has not yet appointed Vice Chancellor of the university.

According to sources, SMBBMU was granted Rs 949.747 million but Rs 966.726 million were spent for the construction of buildings of the main campus. However, it has become ten years, the construction of the building is not completed that shows the incompetence of the administration of the university.

The plinth level of the buildings is 4 to 5 feet below the Mohenjo Daro Airport Road level as no earth-filling work was carried for the strong base of  buildings and to protect from water-logging and salinity.

Moreover, it is also learnt that Higher Education Commission (HEC) sanctioned Rs 1 billion of which Rs.44 crore  allegedly embezzled  by university’s Project Director (PD) in connivance with two private contractors as pointed out by Fact Finding Committee of the HEC.

The University’s Syndicate decided to remove PD, but he was reinstated illegally on July 26, which need to be probed thoroughly.

The post of Director (HR)-BPS 20, is also lying vacant since last two years but an employee of BPS-17 is deemed with the charge.

The interim VC Prof: Ghulam Murtaza Pathan told the Daily Times here on Sunday that there is an acute shortage of required staff in basic faculty.

He said that if late appointments were not made on different vacant posts, then university will suffer seriously. He further said that proper appointments were  expected on major posts of Director (HR), Director (Admin) and Registrar adding that the temporary postings were made long before his posting on key posts which still continue. He complained that there is shortage of professors in Pathology, Pharmacology, Bio-Chemistry and other major departments of Chandka Medical College. He reiterated that the Project Director (PD) of the University was removed in compliance to the decision of the SMBBMU Syndicate and former VC reinstated him in previous date after withdrawing his termination order. He said he has nothing to do with this decision.

Prof: Pathan said that 90% work of the university’s main campus is complete, adding that the non availability of furniture and other accessories  have hindered the process of completion of the building.

He said that previous VC did not brief him before leaving the office . Professor Pathan said that the university is facing multifarious issues which need to be tackled on priority basis. However, Prof: Pathan said that he will retire on May 14, 2019.