News Reports published in a section of the press have given the impression that the development spending in the Higher Education sector has been curtailed. This impression is entirely wrong and contrary to the facts. The development expenditure of the Higher Education Commission increased from 16.4 billion in 2017-18 to Rs 18.8 billion in 2018-19. This translates into an increase of 14.6%. While the budget allocations were higher during both the years, the expenditure remained lower due to various factors peculiar to the higher education sector. As against the actual expenditure of Rs 18.8 billion during the previous year, budgetary allocation of Rs 29.9 billion is available for the development projects of the HEC during the current financial year. Out of this, an amount of Rs 11.4 billion has already been authorized for expenditure by Planning Division. While the remaining funds will be available during the year. It is expected that with an enhanced pace of project implementation, the HEC projects will utilize a much higher amount of funds during the current year as compared to the previous year. The expenditure authorizations during the first 5 months of the year are a clear indication that Higher Education projects are being provided sufficient resources for their development needs. ***** ?
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