LAHORE: The Chief Minister of Punjab has approved 3,500 motorbikes for field veterinary doctors of the Livestock & Dairy Development Department (L&DDD) Punjab.

Punjab Minister for Agriculture & Livestock, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, disclosed this at a departmental review meeting held on Friday. Parliamentary Secretary Livestock Sardar Asim Maken and Secretary Livestock Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel also participated.

Speaking at the meeting, the Minister warned that negligence will not be tolerated in the implementation of the initiatives of Chief Minister Punjab in the livestock sector, especially in the timely delivery of livestock cards to farmers.

He issued instructions to the directors posted in all divisions to personally visit the livestock card delivery centres daily, and those farmers who do not come to collect their livestock cards should be sent messages and contacted through field staff. The local members of the provincial assembly of the area should be invited to the livestock card distribution ceremony. This process should be made part of SOPs.

The provincial minister further maintained that so far 10 million rupees purchased have been made through livestock cards, while there are 947 registered dealers across the province.

Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani stated that there is a complete ban on the slaughtering of female animals, and their slaughter is not tolerable under any circumstances; strict action should be taken in this regard. The FMD Control Programme, slaughtering of female animals and all the initiatives of the Chief Minister in the livestock sector are part of the KPIs and the complete implementation of all these KPIs is your responsibility.

The meeting was also attended by Additional Secretary (Technical) Livestock Usman Tahir, Director Generals Extension, Research, and Production, and other officers of the department.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024