A non-technical man with background in aviation industry is working as Director General (DG) for the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) - a key department for ensuring quality standards of exports and imports of the country's agriculture products' - in violation of rules and regulations. An official source told Business Recorder that DPD is an attached department of National Food Security and Research Ministry which is keeping a watch over the import and export of agriculture products.
He said that following the direction of top government functionaries, the Ministry appointed a pilot as DG DPP in November last year. The official said that DPP is responsible for ensuring quality standards of our major exports including rice, wheat, mango, citrus, potato, onion, dates, raw cotton, sugar and major imports including raw cotton, raw jute, pulses, broomstick, tamarind, dry fruits, ginger, canola seed, sunflower seed and rapeseed. The other responsibilities of DPP include ensuring international cooperation for plant protection, standard setting body for World Trade Organisation (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, adherence to international plant protection convention, Phytosanitary inspection, treatment and certification, adoption of international standards on phytosanitary measures fulfilment of requirements of quality and safety, pesticides residues, contaminants, genetic modification.
The official said that despite court orders and establishment division's instructions, the Ministry has not yet appointed a technical person with the required qualifications and experience necessary for the said post.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research has also recommended to the Ministry to remove the incumbent DG DPP. He said that according to recruitment rules of the post of DG, DPP, the candidate should possess second class master's degree in Agriculture Science with specialisation in Entomology or MSc in Entomology and evidence of original research extending over a period of fifteen years with publications in any foreign journal of repute.
The DPP maintains 20 aircraft for locust and crop-pests spray. However, most of the aircraft require repair and replacement. The large scale aerial spraying has been discontinued after transfer of pesticides trade in 1980 to the private sector. At present the department is conducting free of cost aerial spray on orchards in Balochistan.
Another senior official of the Ministry said the post was advertised through Federal Service Public Commission (FSPS) and the commission would soon conduct tests for the said post. However, he said that the entire process for appointment of a new DG may take another one year.