Punjab Food Department (PDF) will start wheat procurement from April 20 in the province and continue to buy till the last grain at the support price of Rs 415 per 40 kilogram.
Giving details of the wheat procurement policy during an interview to the APP, Punjab Food Secretary Muhammad Ahsan Raja said here on Tuesday that purchase centres had been established in all the wheat growing areas in the province, and their number could be increased when needed.
Wheat procurement will take place daily from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm without any break, even on holidays, he said adding that April 20 had been fixed as the final date of commencing wheat procurement, said the Punjab Food Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal at a meeting held here on Tuesday.
As per past practice, gunny bags will be distributed to desirous farmers on personal surety through gazetted officers or local 'lanmberdars', while bags over 100 in quantity will be provided against call deposit.
Traders will get the bags only through call deposit, not on personal surety.
The Secretary said a four-member committee comprising of representatives from the local MPA and the district government, farmers and the lanmbardar 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 Chief Minister Inspection Team and senior Food Department officials will conduct inspections of the procurement centres. He said cash rewards would be given to Food Department officers for showing good performance in the procurement drive.
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