PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa livestock secretary, Zareeful Mani, on Monday ordered an investigation into alleged administrative irregularities at the government-owned Harichand cattle breeding and dairy farm in Charsadda district.
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The decision followed a recent inspection of the facility, which spans over 500 acres and houses cattle units, cow sheds, feed processing arrangements, and a cattle semen processing unit. The inspection report highlighted issues including proxy attendance, incomplete or questionable milk production records, lack of cleanliness, and potential threats to animal health.
A fact-finding committee has been constituted to investigate these concerns, comprising deputy secretary Ishaq Ahmad as chairman, Dr Habibur Rehman, director of poultry health and production, and senior research officer Dr Hameedullah. The committee is tasked with auditing administrative and financial records and recommending both short- and long-term solutions.
Officials found significant gaps in staffing and supervision, with only two of 40 assigned cleanliness staff present during the visit, and multiple instances of proxy attendance and suspected ghost workers. Several key project files were missing, infrastructure was dilapidated, milking parlours were non-functional, and a Rs5 million power generator was unaccounted for.
The report also questioned the accuracy of reported milk production and sales, citing a lack of reconciliation and proper recordkeeping. It called for digitisation of attendance and accounting systems, adherence to biosecurity protocols, and stricter operational oversight.
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The livestock secretary also ordered immediate improvements in cleanliness, biosecurity compliance, and the introduction of a digital attendance system at the farm.