LAHORE: The Punjab government on Thursday introduced a bill in the provincial assembly to regulate the poultry business.

The bill, which was not on the earlier notified agenda for the day, was laid before the house after amending the agenda right when it had taken up about half of the notified business.

Though the provincial government rules permit it to introduce a bill any time and any day, except on the Private Members’ Day, the opposition received it with a bit of bitterness.

“Morally, if not legally, the treasury should circulate a bill before laying it before the house,” lamented Siddique Khan, a PTI MPA from Rawalpindi, when contacted by Dawn.

The Punjab Poultry Production bill 2016 proposes a registration authority to register all those engaged in poultry production in the province. The purpose of the registration will be to prescribe certain distances between one poultry farm to another (minimum 1 km proximity), implement bio-security measures or address health concerns, ensure proper disposal of poultry waste as well as poultry feed quality.

The statement of objects and reasons say the Pakistan Poultry Association has repeatedly demanded formulation of regulations for the mushroom growth of the business as the lack of control has led to difficulty in controlling poultry diseases and thus resulting in economic losses.

The unregistered poultry farmers or those violating proximity rules may face jail term from minimum seven days up to six months with fine from Rs100,000 to Rs500,000.

Those not fencing the poultry premises or improperly disposing of waste shall face three days to three-month jail term or Rs100,000 to Rs500,000 fine.

The offences shall be tried by a tribunal with the powers of a sessions court and appeal against its order may be filed before the Lahore High Court within 30 days of the sentencing.

The chair, being held by deputy speaker Sardar Shel Ali Gorchani at that time, referred the bill to the standing committee on livestock with the direction of reporting back within two months.

Later, the house passed the Punjab Drugs (amendment) Act 2015, and Fatima Jinnah Medical University Lahore (amendment) Act 2015, rejecting all the changes suggested by the opposition.

The Drugs Act related to “provincialising” the federal law in accordance with the 18th constitutional amendment.

Whereas, the FJMU Act relaxed the upper age limit for its vice chancellor from 61 to 65 years (as with other universities) and reduced the candidate’s personal experience from 25 to 15 years to what Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said improve “scope of choice”.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016

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