LAHORE - The Punjab government has posted Dr Irfan Zahid as Director General (Extension) in the Livestock and Dairy Development Department. The S&GAD has issued a notification in this regard.
Dr Irfan Zahid who remained OSD for more than three years assumed charge on Monday.
Dr Zahid was suspended and made an OSD after a multi-million scam in the Livestock and Dairy Development department’s milk processing plants was unearthed during 2012. All involved were already reinstated except the DG Dr Zahid. A grade-19 officer who was not even a regular director was posted as Director General.
An officer said that in spite of the fact that former DG Dr Zahid along with all other suspects of misappropriation had been exonerated from the financial embezzlement charges but he failed to get posting as the DG for three years. The DG Dr Irfan Zahid had been performing his duties as director general (extension) since January 2009, the officer held.
The ex-DG and other directors and district livestock officers (DLOs) were arrested and suspended from the top position over the charges of corruption and misappropriation of funds, but nothing could be proved against them in the court of law. So the Punjab government had to reinstate all the officers, including DG Dr Zahid.
On the other hand, Dr Nawaz Saeed, a grade-19 officer and the then chief research officer, Pattoki, was given additional charge of the top slot of the department on July 9, 2012, as Dr Zahid was put behind bars.
The question who actually embezzled the amount still remains unanswered as the case is still to be answered.
The project costing Rs 1.152 billion took off in 2006-7 in the districts of Layyah, DG Khan, Jhang, Muzaffargarh and four districts in the central Punjab with its headquarters in Sialkot.