The Federal Food Committee (FFC) has decided to adopt a mechanism to ensure lifting of wheat quota by flour mills in a proper way, and those mills which violate the policy must be taken to task while all the four provinces have been asked to take strict actions against hoarders and smugglers.
The meeting, held on Wednesday, was presided over by NDMA Chairman Farooq Ahmad Khan, where it was emphasised to introduce a mechanism for inter-provincial transportation of wheat and NWFP and Sindh were asked to adopt the practice of daily issue of wheat to the flour mills to keep the monitoring process and administration easier.
Chief Secretaries and Food Secretaries of all the four provinces, AJK and Northern Areas, Ministries of Railways, Food, Agriculture and Livestock, and Planning and Development, representatives of provincial governments, NLC, Rangers, FC, Utility Stores Corporation DG and representatives of All Pakistan Flour Mills Associations also attended the meeting.
The meeting was aimed at having a detailed overview of the flour situation in all provinces, Northern Areas and AJK. The committee, working on policy recommendations for federal government and the input from all quarters in this meeting, will help in formulating final policy guidelines.
The meeting focused on different aspects of the flour crisis and devised a plan to co-ordinate and share the responsibilities to avoid the recurrence of crises. The Chairman and all participants showed satisfaction on the flour situation all over the country.