The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan has expressed grave concern over the inordinate delay in the establishment of a Rice Training Institute (RTI) by the relevant authorities of concerned departments.
Addressing a meeting of Sialkot based rice exporters at local hotel here on Sunday, former central chairman of rice exporters association of Pakistan Shehzad Ali Malik said that a few years ago, the Punjab Governor Lieutenant General Khalid Maqbool (Retd) had allotted a piece of land to this association near the rice research institute Kala Shah Kaku for establishing rice training institute there.
He said that it is a matter of grave concern that this grand project still remains a victim of red tapism and concerned department's authorities were allegedly adopting the delaying tactics besides putting this project in cold storage.
Shehzad Ali Malik said that early establishment of rice training institute is vital for producing the lacked rice experts for booming the rice industry as it is the high time to make joint sincere efforts mutually by the government and private sector for enhancing the rice exports to the world markets besides exploring new international markets.