Punjab Food Department procures two million tons of wheat

The Punjab Food Department has so far procured two million tons of wheat and announced to continue the drive unless the procurement target is not met. A spokesman of the department has assured that extensive arrangements throughout the province for the ongoing wheat procurement drive are being made.
Government has also directed to pay growers on the spot and food department officials have been directed to extend maximum facilities to the farmers.
It has been especially ordered that arrangements be ensured for providing gunny bags to the farmers, the spokesman said adding that due to this effective strategy Food Department has purchased two million tons of wheat so far.
He said the Punjab government had also ordered special checks on smuggling and hoarding of wheat and local administration has been involved to keep a vigilant eye in this regard.
The spokesman said that according to the official statistics Punjab has extra production of wheat this year, which would be sufficient enough to meet the requirements of other provinces. He said that as per the policy of Food Strategic Reserves, Government of Pakistan is importing 2.5 million tons of wheat and Trading Corporation of Pakistan has already ordered such quantity of wheat to be imported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Kisan Movement (PKM) has appealed to Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa, Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Mian Nawaz Sharif to take strict action against the highhandedness of the Food Department and Police officials who forcibly stop the farmers' trolleys and take away their produce while depriving them of their livelihood.
The demand was raised at a meeting chaired by its Secretary General, Hanif Gujjar after completing the tour of Sindh and Punjab, says spokesman here on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by a large number of farmers from all over Punjab. In the meeting, farmers complained about highhanded attitude of the Food Department. Some of the farmers said that the Food Department officials not only insulted them but also stopped their trolleys on the roads and confiscated their produce who were shifting their wheat from farms to their homes.
According to the farmers, the Food Department officials were accompanied by contingent of Police who took away their wheat without any reason despite the fact that Punjab Government has only banned the inter-district movement of wheat.
Some of the farmers said, "we are unable to understand why the provincial government is not taking action against the Food Department's mafia?" Secretary General of PKM said during his tour to Sindh he was told by the farmers that Sindh Government has implemented the ECC decision by lifting inter-district ban on wheat movement while it is only Punjab Province which is not implementing the ECC's decision.