37,000 bags of seeds purchased from D.I.Khan center found defective, committee told
JAVED KHAN
PESHAWAR
Senior officials of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agriculture Department on Thursday told a provincial assembly committee that eight officers in grades 17, 18, and 19 have been suspended over defective wheat seeds distribution to farmers across the province.
The officials informed that due to substandard wheat distributed through the department’s seed centers failed to germinate, causing widespread crop losses and substantial financial damage to farmers and landowners across the province.
The KP Assembly’s Standing Committee on Agriculture held a meeting to address the widespread failure of wheat seeds provided to farmers across the province.
The meeting was chaired by Abdul Salam Afridi, Chairman of the Standing Committee and Member of the Provincial Assembly, and attended by committee members Zarshad Khan, Dawood Shah, Makhdoomzada Muhammad Aftab Haider, Muhammad Nisar Baz, Sharafat Ali, Fazal Elahi, as well as senior officials from the Agriculture, Law, and Finance departments.
Chairman Afridi described the meeting as “of exceptional importance,” noting that defective wheat seeds distributed through the Agriculture Department’s seed centers had failed to germinate, causing widespread damage to crops and financial losses to farmers and landowners.
The Special Secretary and Director General of Agriculture explained that around 37,000 bags of sealed wheat seeds purchased from the Dera Ismail Khan Seed Center were found to be defective after cultivation.
In response to questions about accountability, the Director General of Agriculture stated that eight officers in grades 17, 18, and 19 had been suspended and a departmental inquiry had been initiated.
Committee member Fazal Elahi, emphasizing the seriousness of the issue, proposed the formation of a sub-committee that would include farmers’ representatives to ensure a fair and thorough investigation.
The committee unanimously decided that the suspended officers would be reinstated pending the sub-committee’s recommendations, which will determine the final responsibility for the defective seeds.
Chairman Afridi directed senior officials of the Agriculture Department to provide accurate and comprehensive data at the next meeting to facilitate further action on the matter.
This meeting underscores the provincial government’s commitment to addressing agricultural challenges and holding officials accountable for lapses that affect the livelihoods of farmers.
