The federal government Thursday handed over wheat hoarders' list to the provinces of Punjab and Sindh, asking for punitive action against them and slapped ban on export of wheat flour, maida, suji and baisen through sea and rail routes with immediate effect while keeping road route open, Punjab Food Minister, Syed Hussain Jehanian Gardezi said.
In order to arrest rising inflationary trends the government also decided to supply wheat at subsidised rates to functional mills from September 1st to 7 from its own stock, which at the moment stands at 4.7 million tons.
The wheat would be provided at Rs 460-470 per 40-kg, whereas, the provinces are asked to make it sure that subsidy granting in the issue price of wheat should be passed on to the consumers by reducing the prices of wheat flour. He said that we have planned to take action against the hoarders for increasing prices of wheat and flour.
He said that government was well-informed that flour was selling at Rs 580 per 40-kg in the market. In some places, it is being sold Rs 15 to 16 per kg. Sources said that the federal government has sent the list of the hoarders to the provinces for appropriate action against non-millers and non-functional millers who are hoarding the commodity for speculative purposes, he added.
The government also banned export of wheat flour, maida, suji and baisen through sea and rail routes in order to keep their prices under control in the Holy month of Ramadan.
However, Hussain Jwehanian Gardezi said that the exports of the commodities via road would be allowed, thus, keeping Afghanistan corridor open for export of wheat-made essential items.
In addition, Gardezi asserted that the federal and provincial governments would ensure foolproof system to check cross border wheat smuggling and hoarding of the commodity. Government has decided to take punitive action against the wheat hoarders for hoarding 1.2 million tons of wheat, thus creating an artificial wheat shortage in the country.
On question of providing hoarders' list to media to expose the culprits, the Special Secretary replied that he did not have such list and Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) might be having knowledge of it. When this correspondent contacted Sikandar Hayat Bosan, Federal Minister of Minfal, he also outrightly refused to have information of any such list.
The Ramadan package announced earlier by the government also reviewed by the ECC. Under the package, the government would start providing essential commodities at lesser rates from September 10. The USC spokesman told that gram pulse, which is available at Rs 40 per kg in the market, would be available at Rs 29 at 3, 000 utility stores throughout the country.
Similarly, Baisen will be available at Rs 40/kg, Dates Rs 48/kg, white gram Rs 53/kg, rice basmati Rs 45/kg and ghee at Rs 67 per kg. In addition to these food items, about 1000 non-food items' rates have been reduced by 5-10 per cent, he told .He claimed that 81 million people would get benefit from the utility stores.