A parliamentary panel on Thursday came down hard on Ministry for National Food Security and Research for its inability to deal with the recent locust attack in Sindh.

The Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research, which met here with Syed Muzafar Hussain Shah in the chair, grilled the ministry officials as it was their incompetence due to which locust attacks caused immense damage to the Rabi crops.

The officials had nothing satisfactory to tell the panel when they were asked as to why the ministry was ill-prepared to deal with the massive locusts attack in the province.

Shah directed the ministry for presentation of the periodic survey reports conducted regarding the locusts attack for 2019 and preceding years.

The committee expressed deep sense of concern that the ministry was unable to conduct proper surveillance due to which farmers could not take precautionary measures and huge loss was experienced.

The lack of pesticides, lack of personnel for on-ground activity, lack of funds and lack of coordination are the major reasons for this loss as this is a question of national disaster.

The committee recommended that emergency funds need to be provided, and improvement of capacity of aircraft and ground fleet needs to be carried out.