KARACHI, Sept 21: There are 176 veterinary hospitals and dispensaries in Sindh with the provision of 333 veterinary officers and 717 para- veterinary staff, but at present nine posts of officers and three posts of para-staff are lying vacant , which are to be filled after lifting of the ban on appointments.

The House was also informed that livestock population in the province was 25.517 million, so there was one vet officer for 76,600 animals, while the one para-vet staff personnel for 35,000 animals.

This information was provided to the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday in a written reply to a question by Mr Nawab Ali Wasan. Women Development Minister Dr Saeeda Malik, replying to various supplementary questions on behalf of Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, who also holds the portfolio of livestock, said that no government official had been posted on deputation in Khairpur.

However, she agreed that there was a need for improvement in the working of the vet hospitals and dispensaries. She said that action had been taken against vet staff found absence from their duties.

Regarding Thaparker district, where most of the population depended on breeding livestock for living, she said that the government was aware of the hardships and miseries being faced by people there due to drought.

She assured the House that with the assistance of the European Union some measures to improve the situation would be included in the comprehensive programme for the region.

Besides, the minister said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had also announced a devlopment package for Thar area, and its implementation would provide relief to the people.

Regarding sending mobile vet dispensaries in Thar area, she said it required fresh question. She also informed the House that not only Thatta district, but the entire province was facing scarcity of water.

The government had set up a laboratory at Tando Jam, where the required vaccines were being produced and being made available to the people immediately, while in the past it used to take 15 days to arrange the vaccive from Peshawar, Lahore and Quetta, she added.

About the quacks practising as vet doctors, the minister said that an anti-quack drive was launched in the past to check the menace but more efforts were needed in that area.

She denyed recruitment of vet staff in the department and said provision of free vaccines at the vet hospitals and dispensaries was not possible immediately for want of resources, however, the matter could be taken up in the coming comprehensive EU plan.

The minister said that there was no report since 2002 regarding the presence of bird-flue virus or madcow epidemic in the province. Dr Saeeda Malik said that in Karachi there were only seven vet hospital/dispensaries at the moment, as the population was not involved in livestock breeding.

However, in future, when dairy farming and livestock farming projects would come up more vet hospitals and dispensaries could be set up in the city to meet emerging requirements.

In reply to a question by Abdul Rehman Rajput, the minister assured the members that the department had taken note of encroachment upon the vet hospital and dispensary in Hirabad, Hyderabad.

Most of the supplementary questions put to the minister pertained to malfunctioning of vet hospitals and dispensaries, which were a cause of concern among local livestock breeders.

Pointing out that due to scarcity of water, livestock were being infected and people were compelled to migrate along with their animals from water-starved areas in a large numbers. Their problems were multiplied due to malfunctioning of the vet hospitals/dispensaries at many places.

Those who raised supplementary questions included Nawab Al Wasan, Saifullah Dharejo, Sassui Palejo, Ayaz Soomro, Ali Nawaz Shah, Humera Alwani, Fareeha Amin, Makhdoom Jamiluz Zaman, Hafiz Naeem, Munawwar Ali Abbasi, Fareeha Haroon, Manzoor Ahmad, Ali Nawaz Shah and Molana Umar Sadiq.

Earlier, when Syed Qaim Ali Shah drew attention of the chair to the fact that only one question was put on the agenda, while the members had filed many questions to make the departments accountable before the House, Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah asked the secretary to ensure that at least 10 questions should be enlisted in the order of the day.

Mr Saifullah Dharejo drew the attention of the chair towards non-implementation of the law passed by the assembly last year on declaring Sindhi language as compulsory in all educational institutions, and said that he had visited a few institutions where Sindhi was not being taught as yet.

Sindh Education Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro, agreeing with the questioner said where as recruitment of proper Sindhi language teachers was on the cards, the department was reviewing the matter to take appropriate steps for implementation of the said law.