Punjab to launch wheat procurement drive from March 25

Punjab is all set to launch wheat procurement drive 2020 from March 25, 2020 with a target of purchasing 4.5 million tons of grain at the rate of Rs1400 per maund. This was disclosed at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee for Wheat Procurement Policy 2020-21 chaired by the Punjab Food Minister Samiullah Chaudhry at Civil Secretariat here on Thursday.
Samiullah Chaudhry while addressing the participants directed Deputy Commissioners of all districts to make effective arrangements in order to launch campaign against wheat hoarders on print, electronic and social media. Punjab government will adopt zero-tolerance policy against hoarders and vigorous crackdown will be taken against them, he resolved. Fixing the rate of wheat at Rs1400 per mound should not have any negative effect on the price of flour.
He further maintained that government has fixed a mega wheat target of 4.5 million metric ton during current year and for its attainment all Deputy Commissioners along with concerned staff of Food Department will have to work in collaboration by chalking out an effective strategy. Punjab government has fixed such a mega wheat target for the first time and achieving it can only be possible by adopting proactive policy, he concluded.
Earlier, Director Food Wajid Ali Shah apprised the meeting about the salient features of wheat procurement policy and gave a detailed briefing about matters pertaining to launching of wheat procurement from 25th March, abolition of Gurdawari condition, non-permission to rice mills to purchase wheat, permission to flour mills for wheat procurement and deputing duties of provincial ministers to oversee the wheat procurement process.
The meeting was also intimated about preparation of checklist, amendments recommended in Food Grains Licensing Control Order 1957 and proposed notification in Punjab Food Stuff Control Act 1958.
Punjab Secretary Food Waqas Ali Mehmood, Director General Agriculture Dr Muhammad Anjum Ali, Director Food Wajid Ali Shah, Director Special Branch Dr Muhammad Ramzan also attended the meeting while Deputy Commissioners and District Food Controllers of Food Department also attended the meeting via video link across Punjab.