The concept is prepared by Dr Subhan Qureshi, Dean, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Agriculture University Peshawar recommends for establishment of economic power house to register and regulate livestock sector. For this purpose, Dr Subhan Qureshi has also proposed the establishment of an independent and autonomous Board of Directors (BoD) to run the affairs of the park.
The Secretary Local Government & Rural Development (LG&RD), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has appreciated the concept as innovative idea and wrote an assenting note to the Chief Secretary for the establishment of Dairy Science Park (Academic support to livestock SMEs under the initiative for inclusion in the proposed annual development programme (ADP) for the financial year 2016-17.
The Secretary Local Government while giving rationale for reflecting the scheme under local government sector termed it justified under Integrated Development Strategy 2014-18 of the provincial government.
Similarly, the Additional Chief Secretary, Mohammad Azam Khan in his written note for the Chief Secretary also appreciated the innovative idea of the Local Government Department regarding establishment of Dairy Science Park at Peshawar to provide hygienic food production to the whole province.
However, he while pointing some shortcomings in the note of the Secretary Local Government and avoiding of duplicity in functions asked the Secretary Local Government for revisiting the subject. In response to the observations of the Additional Chief Secretary, the Secretary Local Government wrote another note for the Chief Secretary along with the annexure of the para-wise replies given by the Dean Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences (FAHVS) along with the request for establishment of Task Force and its terms of references (TORs).
The Secretary Local Government in his note further stated in case of agreeing with the establishment of Task Force, it may be accorded to settle all necessary issues as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dairy Science Park Act, 2016 is not yet finalized. It further stated as the subject relates to Agriculture Department. Therefore, the comments of Agriculture Department may also be obtained. In another note for the Chief Secretary over the subject, the Additional Chief Secretary opposed giving preference to performance audit over certification audit as funds for the project will be used from Provincial Consolidated Fund. Therefore, the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) cannot be barred from audit in the form of and manner, as determined by AGP Office as per articles 168-171 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The Additional Chief Secretary while agreeing with the proposal stressed need for a feasibility study on the subject to determine workability of the proposal to address issues of recurrent funding, human resource development, issues of quality control and industrial linkages etc. The proposed Task Force, the Additional Chief Secretary in his note said will monitor and oversee ongoing project of Rs 200 million implemented by Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) as per TORs of Task Force of DSP. He advises that the pilot project of PDA be tested first before taking more steps. In his note, the Additional Chief Secretary also recommended the adding of the views of Agriculture, Livestock & Cooperative Department on the subject.
The Secretary, Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperative Department in his note for the Chief Secretary over the subject declined support to the proposal submitted by the Local Government Department citing livestock development initiatives their own mandate, saying the department is already working on various initiatives for dairy development in the province.
Similarly, in order to coordinate the provincial frame work with the national and global dynamics of the sector, the Livestock & Dairy Development Fund is in the process of constitution of Provincial Livestock & Dairy Development Board, which will have functions and power including the functions envisaged by Dairy Science Park.
Furthermore, the Secretary Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperative revealed that the Provincial Livestock Policy is already been drafted and being reviewed for submission to the cabinet for approval. The proposed policy will provide elaborate action plan/business plan, which will cater for almost all the objectives, goals and targets, highlighted in the proposed Dairy Science Park Board of the Local Government Department.
To the points of quality control system for food items and establishment of Halal Certification Board proposed by the said Dairy Science Park Board will be an anomaly in the presence of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety Authority Act, 2014 and the Pakistan Halal Authority Act, 2015.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017