Daily Times

KARACHI: Incompetent authorities have failed to run pesticide and fertilizer quality control testing laboratories despite the fact that hundreds of employees are drawing salaries while sitting at homes owing to the closure of the laboratories.

Established in four divisional headquarters in Sindh with a hefty amount, sources said the officials concerned have failed to run the labs despite the availability of modern apparatus.

Sources said that the department has utilised Rs 2.35 billion in 2015-16, Rs 63.43 million in 2014-15, Rs 63.93 million in 2013-14 and Rs 52.46 million in 2012-13 but the appalling condition of growers never improved.

The laboratories were established in four districts namely Mirpurkha,s Hyderabad, Rohir and Larkana, with a view to prevent the use of fake and counterfeited pesticides and fertilizers by farmers, but in never produce any fruitful result.

Moreover, the pesticide and fertilizer quality control testing laboratory in Larkana was found locked and non-functional, resultantly the costly equipment worth million of rupees becoming useless.

Sources also alleged that the authorities concerned have embezzled Rs 40 million funds that were released in March 2014-15 for procuring the equipment and other development work, thus casing heavy loss to the national kitty.

However, Sindh Agriculture Laboratories Director Ghulam Akbar Zardari had denied the closure of the laboratories and brushed aside all the allegations of misusing funds. He, however, admitted that work was halted there once. He said that the department had invited the NIT for procurement of equipment to ensure transparency.

Despite repeated attempts, Agriculture Department Secretary Shahid Gulzar did not attend the calls.