'Sindh wheat procurement likely to exceed target'

The Director, Food, Sindh, Ashfaque Ahmed Mosvi, said on Thursday that out of 0.6 million tons wheat procurement target, 0.56 million tons had been procured up to July 2, 2008, and expressed hope that the target would be crossed very soon.
This he said this while inspecting wheat godowns in Dadu. He said that in the province, wheat production was estimated at 3 million tons, out of which procurement of 0.6 million tons wheat by the government was decided, and it was hoped that this target would be achieved easily
He said that the Sindh government has decided and adopted a strategy to maintain the supply and demand in each district, and added that no one would be allowed hoarding this essential commodity for own interest.
He said that action was being taken against hoarders of wheat, and gave the example of recovering 840 bags only from Dadu district. He said that the Food Department has covered storage capacity of 0.7 million tons wheat where full care of the stock was being taken.
The Director strictly directed the Food staff to maintain transparency in procurement and storage of wheat, and warned that any negligence in this would not be tolerated. He said that to maintain wheat and flour supply at Karachi, the flour mills of Karachi have been allowed to purchase 600 bags per day of wheat from nine districts of interior Sindh.
Earlier, while visiting the wheat godowns at Bolahri, District Jamshoro, the Director informed that the inquiry in the misappropriation committed during the previous tenure of government in wheat stock at Bolahri was almost finalised and action would be taken against defaulters. He said that foolproof security measures would be ensured at each godown of wheat in Sindh. He said that after completion of the wheat procurement target, release of wheat to the flour mills would be started from September 2008.
During the visit, he also checked official record of godowns and directed the officials to keep the entry of the wheat stock updated. The District Audit Officer Food Department Hyderabad Salahuddin, District Food Controller Dadu Rafique Ahmed Shahani and Incharge Masroor Ahmed Shah were present during the visit of Director Food at Bolahri wheat godown.