Monitoring wheat movement: Sindh government sets up vigilance committee

To prevent hoarding, the Sindh government on Thursday constituted a three-member vigilance committee to monitor the wheat movement across the province. The committee was set up during a meeting chaired by caretaker minister Khalid Latif to discuss wheat procurement and the price issue.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of Sindh Food Department and Chairman Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) Chaudhry Ansar Jawed. After detailed discussions, the food department has also agreed to allow flour mills to procure wheat from open market and hold upto 10,000 bags of 100-kg wheat in their godowns.
Talking to Business Recorder, Khalid Latif said it has been decided in principal that every mill can hold 10,000 bags of wheat in its godown as strategic reserves. However, more than the specified quantity will be considered hoarding, he added. He said three-member vigilance committee has also been set up during the meeting to check hoarding and illegal trading of wheat. The committee will make surprise visits of flour mills to check the wheat stocks and appropriate action will be taken against those mills, which will keep over the limit wheat in their godowns, he added.
"Our first priority is domestic consumer, therefore we have also decided not to allow wheat procurement for export purposes or for hoarding," he added. He said so far Sindh food department has procured some 0.6 million tons of wheat against the target of 1.3 million tons and is likely to complete procurement target in two weeks. "Additional secretary food Asadullah Baloch will be the head of the vigilance committee, while a representative of flour mills and a representative of Sindh government will be members of the committee," the minister said. Talking about the recent hike in the wheat products prices, he said millers have assured that they will review flour/Meda prices and will announce new prices on Monday.
During the meeting, it was also decided that two checkposts will be set up in Sindh (one at Kathor and the second at Kamon Shaheed) to strictly implement Section 144, imposed on wheat movement. The minister has assured miller that their wheat quota will be enhanced upto 12,000 bags, when the procurement target will be achieved.