May 28, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 22, 1429

NAWABSHAH, May 27: Shortage of funds, absence of technical staff and the government officials’ indifference have rendered the district’s poultry department non-functional and pushed it into oblivion.

Established ion 1977, the poultry department was given in the control of the district government after the introduction of local government system in 2001.

The primary function of the department was to reproduce the Egyptian breeds of chicken, namely Fayumi, Dhoki and Red Mini (commonly known as golden hen) at the department’s farms and hatcheries and distribute them free of cost among the rural population.

The Egyptian breed of chicken lays eggs without any gap of 21 days for incubation like the Desi chicken.

The district officer poultry receives Rs50,000 annual budget from the district government for the purchase of chicks, feed, medicine and vaccines.

Of two hatcheries and two poultry farms, only one in Qazi Ahmed is functioning while the rest situated inside the office of DO poultry have been closed. A laboratory set up in the DO’s office has also been closed.

The department has a 20 member staff, including the district officer. The posts for research officer and junior clerk are vacant while a laboratory assistant and two stock assistants are working on deputation in other districts.

No employee has been posted at the new hatchery established by the district government in 2007.

The department has no vehicle even for the district officer to pay visits to the farms or a village in case of outbreak of diseases. The only vehicle of the department had been out of order since 1992.

District officer poultry, Arshad Ali Kalhoro, said that the department faced severe crisis due to shortage of funds and staff. Although he was managing affairs with the help of present staff but it was impossible to run the closed poultry farm and hatchery without funds and staff. Rs1 million a year were required only for maintaining the hatchery, he said.

He said that there was no positive case of bird flu in Nawabshah and diseases like Gambhoro, Ecoli Water Belly and New Castle (commonly known as Rani Khet) were reported and throughout the year and treated.

He said that the department used eye drops for new chick when they were seven days old and then gave them vaccine after 21 days, three months, six months and one year to save them from Rani Khet.

He said that recently the department received 288 chicks from the poultry research institute of Karachi but they had no funds for the purchase of chicks, feed, medicine and vaccines.

He said that the District Coordination Officer Khursheed Naeem Malik had paid a visit to his office and assured that the district government would provide sufficient funds for the department in the upcoming budget.