16 yrs on, Punjab’s first pesticide residue testing lab yet to become functional

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, January 23

Sixteen years have passed and the state’s first and only Pesticide Residue Testing Laboratory (PRTL) is yet to start functioning and it seems that the important project has been lost somewhere.

Team from Mohali visited site last year

Last year, a team from Mohali had also visited the site to check technical aspects related to the laboratory, and it was said that the testing would be done on the first floor where complete isolation would be required, while the sampling would be done on the ground floor.

To monitor pesticide residue in food items, the Agriculture Department had proposed to set up Punjab’s first Pesticide Residue Testing Laboratory (PRTL) in 2008. The construction work for the PRTL was entrusted to the Punjab Mandi Board in 2009, which was completed at the cost of Rs 2.84 crore.

The foundation stone for the opening of the laboratory and agriculture office was laid by former Director, Agriculture, Mangal Singh Sandhu, on May 18, 2012. However, the laboratory area, which has eight spacious rooms, is currently being used for record-keeping by the Agriculture Department.

Agriculture Department officials said that they had not received any money from the government yet to start the work on the lab.

As per the information, an estimate of Rs 18 crore had been made for renovating the building. It was reported last time that Punjab Technology Incubator, Mohali, was preparing a detailed project report in this regard and it was supposed to look after the project.

Last year, a team from Mohali had also visited the site to check technical aspects related to the laboratory, and it was said that the testing would be done on the first floor where complete isolation would be required, while the sampling would be done on the ground floor.

The then Director of the State Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare had claimed that the process had already started and within a year, the laboratory would be ready. “A survey was recently carried out by a team and we are waiting for the project report. The process will start thereafter,” the former director of the department had said.

But, till date, nothing has been done and even district officials do not know when the lab will get functional.

Director of the Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association, Ashok Sethi, while talking to The Tribune earlier, had said that they would welcome the setting up of pesticide testing laboratory, which was their demand for the last 10 years. “The rice importers, specially based in the EU, the US and even Middle East countries, have fixed strict standards for pesticides and its minimum residue levels,” he had said.