CM Murad urges to operate hatcheries under public-private partnership

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed the Livestock and Fisheries department to work out a plan to operate poultry, fish and shrimp hatcheries under public private partnership basis.  

“This is not the job of government but the government should regulate hatchery work,” he said adding that the private sector was minting money on hatcheries but the provincial government was incurring huge losses.

Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Mohammad Ali Malkani apprised the chief minister about the forty schemes including six new ones by the department worth Rs. 1798 million out of which Rs1111.419 million are for livestock and Rs686.581 million for fisheries sectors.

He added that the scheme for establishment of cattle colonies at Naukot, Umerkot and Khairpur have been launched worth Rs. 1377.272 million with the private sector. The Works and Services department has taken over one unit at Umerkot while the civil work of Naukot was still in progress particularly of water supply scheme.

Secretary Livestock and Fisheries Ghulam Hussain Memon said that a scheme for expansion of poultry hatcheries and backyard farming, including atmosphere controlled poultry sheds worth Rs 247.376 million had been launched in several districts including Naushehro Feroze, Ghotki, Kashmore, Mithi, Umerkot and Karachi.

However, he informed that around Rs209.675 million were utilized but the Planning and Development department had raised objections over the defective work in Ghotki and Kashmore, after which the finance ministry stopped all further funding.

He said that the rehabilitation of pilot shrimp farm at Garho as Training and Research centers was launched for Rs261.792 million. However, the scheme has been halted as the work carried out by the Works and Services department has been declared unsatisfactory by the Planning and Development department.

The chief minister showed immense displeasure and said that such inefficiency by the concerned officers will not be tolerated. He directed both the Livestock and the Works and Services department to coordinate and complete the outstanding work while maintaining pace and quality.

He also directed Works minister Imdad Pitafi to take strict action against the engineers of his department to carry out quality work or else strict action would be taken.