March 24, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 4, 1428

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MURREE, March 23: The lone veterinary hospital in Murree Town has almost become ineffective in the face of a rift between the local administration and the Punjab livestock department.

Functioning in a century-old building, the hospital is lacking a qualified veterinarian for the last 14 years. Lower staff present at the facility is of little help as they can only suggest a medicine but could not provide it due to no supplies.

Locals rearing cattle have to care for the animals’ health on their own, despite the presence of a government veterinary hospital in the area.

Sources told this correspondent that officials of the Murree Town Municipal Administration (TMA) had been occupying a portion of hospital that also faced the danger of collapse due to deep cracks and poor upkeep.

Previously, the hospital was under the control of the defunct Murree Municipal Committee but after the devolution of power plan, it was handed over to the TMA.

The longstanding dispute between the local administration and the Punjab government came as a serious blow to dairy farming in the area, causing great losses to the local population of around 600,000 people.

As the facility was not functioning as it should have been, the administration reportedly came up with a plan to construct a commercial centre at the site to generate income.

The issue was brought to the knowledge of the provincial secretary for local government, who in 1996 directed the Rawalpindi district council to take the control of the hospital and manage its affairs in collaboration with the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development department.

But the decision remained unimplemented till September 2006 due to the tussle between the two departments.

On December 21, 2006, the Livestock and Diary Development department director wrote a letter to the Rawalpindi nazim asking him to take over the hospital management being the successor of the defunct district council so that the provincial department could provide the missing facilities.

He also conveyed to the nazim that the tehsil municipal officer (TMO) Murree had informed the district livestock officer that except for the disputed portion, the TMA was ready to hand over the hospital.

The TMO, when contacted by Dawn, said three employees of the municipal administration were residing in a building outside the veterinary hospital, adding that the structure occupied by them was TMA’s property.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Murree Town cannot benefit from the Punjab government’s “Support services for livestock farmers” programme unless the entire land of the veterinary hospital was handed over to the livestock department.

Rawalpindi District Livestock Officer Yaqoob Sajid, when contacted, said due to illegal occupation of the building by TMA, no doctor was willing to be posted there as he would have to bear extra cost for hiring accommodation.