The Director, Animal Husbandry Hyderabad, Dr Ghulam Sarwar Shaikh has refuted the news item appeared in a section of press about embezzlement of funds termed it as baseless.
Clarifying the actual position, he said that the scheme for 'Establishment of Salvage Farms in Sindh' was approved with a cost of Rs44.387 million during the year 2007-2008 for three years by the Government of Sindh. The scheme envisages protecting high yielding buffaloes and calves from slaughtering.
According to the scheme, during the year 2007-2008, seven farmers are to be supported for raising dry buffaloes, while seven farmers are to be supported through supplying animal feed for the calves.
To achieve the object, advertisement was floated through press inviting applications from eligible farmers to facilitate them and the field staff recommended 418 applications for consideration. From these applications, 30 farmers were to be selected for two years through computerised balloting, which is in progress.
He said that in order to implement the programme, the tender for purchase of feed was also invited through press and the purchase committee headed by the Secretary to Government of Sindh, Livestock and Fisheries Department approved the rates of M/s Asif Gul Transport Company.
Further, purchase orders were issued to the concerned firm with the condition that the rate will be valid up to June 30, 2009 and feed will be supplied as per requirement and necessary payment will be made against the supplies.
Rs12.180 million were drawn against the bill and kept in the Government DDO account to avoid lapse of funds and to benefit the livestock farmers, selected eligible through balloting.
Therefore, there were no malafied intentions, but the effort was not to deprive the farmers from this facility. Now as per instructions of the Sindh Secretary, Livestock and Fisheries Department, the above amount has been deposited in the government account through Treasury challan. So no embezzlement of funds took place and any inquiry order as mentioned in the news is out of questions, he added.