Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) is striving to get enrolled in the Food Security and Research Ministry as it is deemed to be relevant ministry for the cotton committee, it is learnt. At present, PCCC is running under the ministry of commerce, with some of the officials concerned totally irrelevant for PCCC as it is a research based institution.
Sources said employees of the PCCC were preparing a set of proposals for the federal government to put the PCCC under the Food Security and Research Ministry. Since the PCCC is working under the ministry of commerce, no research work has been carried out in cotton and textile technology at a research institute run by PCCC due to what insiders said absence of trained scientists.
Sources said appointments at Pakistan Institute of Cotton Research and Technology (PICRT), a subsidiary of PCCC, had not been made for the past many years, resulting in a halt in research work at the institute. "There is a recruitment ban and a large number of posts are (still) lying vacant," said an official, adding that at present, the institute had no PhD to conduct research work. He said that only infusion of new blood could save PCCC, adding that sufficient number of trained scientists was crucial for meaningful research.
Sources said that the institute trained as many as 500 students of public and private sector universities between 1995 and 2005 in the field of cotton and textile technology. "Currently, the institute is working without any PhD. At least 15 PhD scholars should be appointed to carry out research work," sources said. PICRT provides testing facilities to cotton breeders, textile traders, industry and exporters. It assesses and issues test reports and certificates regarding cotton fibre and textile material, besides providing technical assistance to Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).
At present, the institute needs 10 Senior Research Officers, 12 Research Officers, 20 Research Assistants and 30 Testing Assistants. Sources said that PICRT used to train students of various universities and institutes, but the process had been stopped because of shortage of qualified professionals.
Talking to Business Recorder, Ghulam Mustafa Chandio, President Joint Action Committee asked the government to bring the committee under the Food Security and Research Ministry in order to the create smooth working conditions. "PCCC is basically a research based organisation. It has nothing to do with ministry of commerce," he said, adding that it should be given under the Ministry of Food Security and Research to achieve the original task assigned to it.
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