LAHORE: The Punjab government has reiterated its stand of providing wheat to only functional mills across the province. A survey of mills which kept running the whole year has also been launched with the help of the sensitive agencies.
Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan said this during a meeting with the delegation of Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) which was convened to discuss the prevailing prices of flour and demand of the association for issuing wheat from government stocks to mills across the province.
The Food Minister said that they are issuing wheat quota ahead of traditional time on the directives of Prime Minister to keep the flour prices at the minimum. He said the decision to import the grains is also part of that vision of present government.
Abdul Aleem Khan hinted that a new policy of extending targeted subsidy instead of blanket subsidy is being introduced in the food sector in the next three months. He said work is underway on this policy under which only deserving people will be provided atta at low cost and data from "Ehsaas Program" and Utility Stores will be used for this purpose.
He said that the government will import wheat in the same quantity, which will be released to the flour mills to ensure the availability of abundant wheat reserves. The Minister said that the farmers have got a very good rate of their wheat this year but the government is playing its effective role in keeping the prices of flour to a minimum despite the increase in the price of wheat.
Aleem Khan said that serious consideration was being given to providing maximum relief in wheat and flour prices to the common man and 10 major population-wise districts of the province were selected for the release of government wheat in the first phase. However, the Flour Mills Association will be taken into confidence in this regard and their legitimate suggestions will be accepted, he assured.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was personally interested in keeping the price of flour in Punjab to a minimum that is why he has got the matter approved by the ECC and the Federal Cabinet immediately. Aleem Khan listened carefully to the suggestions made by the Flour Mills Association and assured to include them in future policies.
Central Chairman Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) Asim Raza Ahmad suggested that the government wheat should be released uniformly to all flour mills across the province instead of a few districts. The flour mills would also ensure the supply of flour at the same rate across Punjab. The delegation of the Association also included Punjab President Abdul Rauf Mukhtar, Mian Riaz Ahmed, Shaukat Hayat and Farrukh Shehzad who pointed out various problems being faced by flour mills in the province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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