Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday held a meeting with the Vice Chancellors of the state's government universities to seek their budgetary requirements.
He assured them that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government is committed to strengthening the government universities and colleges of the state.
During the meeting held at Vit te Yojna Bhawan here, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that required arrangements would be made in the budget this year to ensure that these universities would not need to approach the government time and again.
He also asked the Vice-Chancellors of these universities to finalise their budgetary requirements while keeping in mind that justice should be done to every single penny of the people of Punjab.
The Finance Minister said that although the universities are autonomous institutions, some of the government universities are facing financial crises due to the irregularities in the past, therefore, universities should take decisions regarding budgetary implications cautiously while keeping in mind the future challenges of ensuring affordable and quality education for the youth of the state.
He asked the universities to shun the practice of unnecessary expenditure besides focusing on innovative ways of earning income from their own resources without putting extra burden on the students.
Welcoming the suggestions offered by the university representatives to improve the government's higher education system, the Finance Minister said that the state government would definitely review their suggestions to take necessary actions in a prompt manner.
Meanwhile, he discussed in detail the budgetary requirements of each and every Government University of the State and assured that the Punjab government would fulfil their legitimate demands.