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NRB chief urges steps to control pesticides
adulteration
ISLAMABAD (April 29
2004): Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB),
Daniyal Aziz on Wednesday urged effective measures
to control pesticides adulteration and proposed to
evolve an 'on the spot fines system' with the
involvement of district Nazims and concerned
departments.
Suggesting variety of measures, Daniyal opined to
start ticketing system for fining the
adulterators, an on spot recovery of fine and
depositing the fine money to the respective
district governments accounts instead of paying
this money to the provinces.
"If the fine amount is recovered on spot and
deposited in district governments accounts, the
situation can improve," he said, inaugurating the
one-day seminar on "Enforcement Mechanism for
Effectively Curbing the Menace of Adulteration in
Pesticides and Role of District Governments."
He said Nazims have a major role to play in
implementation of laws meant for curbing
pesticides adulteration and the government will
fully support them in their efforts in making the
performance of concerned departments more result
oriented.
Daniyal also called for effective testing system
for pesticides adulteration provided that any
department or any individual gets the samples
tested from laboratories.
He asked the concerned laboratories and Nazims to
set up 'sample collection centres' from where the
vans collect these samples and an early test
report is released.
District Nazims, he said, must also hold meetings
at Union Council level to keep abreast of latest
situation and incentives be announced for
employees in agriculture department like
'performance bonus' to encourage them.
Hanif Khan, Development Commissioner termed the
policies failure as major cause of yield deficit
and said, substandard pesticides have been harming
the crops over the decades.
The government, he said, issued an SRO last year
to ensure that seal pack pesticides reach the
farmers and all the companies get their medicines
tested within the country prior to their delivery
to farmers.
Representatives of provincial agricultural
departments expressed their concerns on pace of
test process at laboratories, cases disposal in
courts and amount of fine imposed for this crime.
Secretary agriculture NWFP said, action initiation
at district Nazim level can cause difficulties in
fines collection and court cases disposal.
He however proposed to set a time limit for cases
disposal at courts and imposition of heavy fines
to adulterators.
Executive District Officer (EDO) agriculture
Hyderabad was concerned about acquittal of
culprits from courts and said, 95 percent
violators are acquitted by the courts or they are
fined meagre amounts.
EDO Bahawalpur said during last six years, 1,145
samples of pesticides were tested and whenever
adulteration is found and a case was registered,
the courts imposed just a small amount of fine.
He regretted that the Agriculture Pesticides
Ordinance was not implemented in letter and
spirit, number of laboratories was insufficient
and there was also a need for enhancing the number
of inspectors as well as their powers. Responding
to their points, Daniyal Aziz stressed to overcome
weaknesses in the enforcement system and empower
courts to transfer fine money to local
government's accounts. "Only effective
implementation of law and speedy justice can
address the issue of adulteration," he added.
He said judiciary cannot set adulteration cases on
priority due to extra load of cases and "there is
a need to devise a mechanism that is service
delivery oriented."
Daniyal said, EDO agriculture must be responsible
for pesticides testing and ensuring that no
substandard pesticide is sold in the market.
Member NRB, Naeemul Haq gave an overview of the
aims and objectives of the seminar and said,
pesticides adulteration control was must to remove
extra burden from the farmers.
He said, since long, implementation of laws to
control adulteration had been a weaker area and
Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali taking
serious note of the situation, has directed the
NRB to work out a strategy for curbing this
menace.
Naeem said after the pesticides use volume
reaching 76,000 metric tons at present from 500
metric tons in 1960, the situation calls for a
more vibrant mechanism to control pesticides
adulteration.
Recommendations prepared at this seminar will be
presented to next cabinet meeting for future
course of action and to devise an effective
strategy to root out this menace.
Courtesy Business Recorder
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Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
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