26 government colleges' BoGs begin work amid protests by teachers, students

Boards of Governors (BoG) of 26 public sector colleges, constituted to give autonomy to the govt higher education institutions, have started functioning despite violent protests by the teachers and students in Punjab.
Professors and Lecturers Association (PPLA) says that BOGs in the government colleges will make education inaccessible for the poor, whereas the government contends they will bring discipline and arrest decline in the education standard of government degree colleges. Several political parties including the PPP and Jamaat-e-Islami are opposing the constitution of BOGs.
With a view to review the issues of Higher Education Department and the BOGs a high level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Sardar Zulifkar Ali Khan Khosa here on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sana Ullah, Secretary Higher Education Haseeb Atar, Advocate General Punjab Khawaja Haris and Additional Secretary Chaudhry Akram.
The meeting reviewed the demands of college teachers regarding Boards of Governor in 26-colleges and BS four-year degree programme. The meeting was told that the BOGs of 26-colleges have started functioning by holding their first meetings. The Boards are monitoring the academic activities of colleges, and dealing with their financial matters.
The meeting decided that Senior Advisor to Chief Minister Sardar Zulifkar Ali Khan Khosa, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sana Ullah and Education Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman will hold a meeting with leaders of Punjab Professors and Lectures Association (PPLA) on January 26 (Wednesday) and demands of PPLA will come under discussion.
It may be added that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising teachers and students believe that by establishing BOGs, the Punjab government was in fact trying to privatise these colleges. By doing so, the government would be unable to control the fee while the government teachers would also be at the mercy of BOGs.
On the other hand, the Punjab government is relentlessly rejecting the allegations, maintaining that establishment of BoGs is only to ensure financial and administrative autonomy to the colleges to run the new degree programme successfully. Punjab government officials say that Rs 500 million special grants to the colleges is evidence of the fact that the government will not allow any increase in fee. Regarding the teachers, they claim that the BoGs will not be empowered to transfer or post the teachers.