Punjab Food Department will continue to purchase wheat from growers "till the last grain" at the support price of Rs 415 per 40 kilograms. Giving details of the wheat procurement policy in an exclusive interview to APP.
Punjab Food Secretary Muhammad Ahsan Rajha said that ample purchase centres were to be established in all wheat growing areas across the province, and their number could be increased as and when needed.
Wheat procurement would start daily from 7 am to 7 pm without a break, even on holidays, he said, adding the exact date of commencing procurement would be announced by Punjab Food Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal at a meeting scheduled here for April 4.
As per past practice, gunny bags will be distributed to the desirous farmers on personal surety through gazetted officers or local lumberdars, while bags over 100 in quantity would be provided against call deposit.
Traders will get the bags only through call deposit, not on personal surety.
The Secretary said that a four-member committee, comprising representatives of the local MPA and the district government officials, farmers and the lumbardar concerned, would supervise transparent wheat procurement at each centre to ensure a fair deal to the growers.
He said in case of a bumper wheat crop, gunny bags, tarpaulin sheets etc would be procured on emergency basis to meet the demand and an open target policy would be followed.
To ensure effective procurement, only high level officials, including ministers, advisors, members of the Chief Minister inspection team and senior Food Department officials will conduct inspections of the procurement centres.
He said cash rewards would be given to the Food Department officers for good performance in the procurement drive.
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