Kasur leather centre neglected

The Kasur Leather Service Centre has not been functioning since 1998 due to the negligence of the Punjab government. The centre was built in 1992 on the Deepalpur Road with Rs30 million of funds provided by the Punjab government and the Netherlands. The centre was equipped with the latest machinery donated by the Netherlands. However, the majority of the staff appointed at the centre were untrained and, as a result, the machinery broke down within a short period of time. The staff were also pocketing money from service charges, causing a loss of millions of rupees to the centre. Some staff members were also involved in selling costly machinery parts at very low prices. The maintenance funds of the building had also been misappropriated and now the building is in a dilapidated condition. The leather service centre had also taken a loan of Rs1.4 million from the Punjab Small Industries Corporation. Staff were in the process of demanding a further Rs2 million to repair the machinery when the management decided to close down the centre. The centre has been handed over to the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA), but is still under the control of the Punjab Small Industries Department. Social and public circles have urged the authorities to reopen the centre after a thorough probe into its affairs.