The affairs of the federal Ministry of Livestock and Dairy Development are seemingly moving in slow motion. It was expected that after separation of the Livestock & Dairy Development from Food and Agriculture, the decisions on both sides would be expedited. On the contrary, it has been experienced that bureaucratic control is stifling the new ministry to cause inordinate delays in decision making. For instance, I personally know that a case for approval of a health certificate for import of poultry, of some parent-stock eggs from Brazil, was sent from a premier breeding company of the country on 9-10-2009 to the Animal Husbandry Commissioner. After a lapse of 34 days, repeated reminders and trunk calls, it is now learnt that the matter has been referred to a non-technical secretary of the ministry for approval. Although Animal Husbandry Commissioner is designated as the Chief Veterinarian of Pakistan and ought to be fully authorized to settle purely technical routine issues of quarantine requirements, that is not the case here. Such delays could setback the poultry production programs in the country resulting in delay in production and rise in poultry prices that are already soaring. The Ministry of Livestock ought to delegate the authority to technical experts to expedite vital decisions, otherwise there is no justification of separation of Livestock from Food and Agriculture Ministry. -DR. M. YAQOOB BHATTI, November 14.