Sindh has termed the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) decision as discriminatory and sought the federal government''s permission for export of surplus wheat stocks with an objective to find some space in its godowns prior to harvesting of the new crop and at simultaneously provide the farmers an alternative market to get good price of their produce.
Sindh government in its SOS to the federal government has referred the (ECC) decision, allowing the Punjab government export surplus wheat on account of its huge stocks in its one of recent meetings. Sindh government''s SOS said: "The ECC decision was creating socio-political problem for the provincial government and its continuation would even be of serious nature for the provincial government."
"The ECC decision to allow the Punjab government export surplus wheat stocks but denying the same to Sindh government is a serious anomaly which needed to be corrected without further delay," Sindh government said in its SOS to the federal government. A Sindh government senior official also took up the matter with the top guns of the Finance Ministry here on Tuesday and conveyed to them the serious implications that the provincial government was facing for "discriminatory ECC decision."
The senior official of the Sindh government has reportedly told the senior officials of the Finance Ministry that permitting Punjab government export wheat and leaving Sindh out of it is a serious question which the provincial government authorities are finding difficult to answer to its farmers and other stakeholders.
The senior provincial official is said to have informed the officials of the Finance Ministry that there was over 0.9 million tons wheat stocks with the provincial food department leaving no space with it to stock the fresh grain when it starts coming in the market and the provincial food department will be required to intervene to keep the prices at a reasonable level.
"We as on January 18 have over 0.9 million tons wheat stocks in the provincial food departments godowns and if export of surplus stocks on Punjab''s pattern was not allowed it will have zero space for fresh stocks," the provincial official said in his meeting with the Finance Ministry''s officials.
Pakistan had huge wheat stocks and Punjab which produces major share was repeatedly demanding of the federal government to allow it export surplus stocks so that it could sell out the old stocks and find some space for stocking the new produce.
Punjab demand was accepted and it was allowed to export surplus stocks of one million tons but at the same time this permission was not accorded to Sindh although it also has huge stocks at that point in time. This decision has started showing its repercussions as Sindh government is not comfortable with the ECC decision and want to remove anomaly by allowing it exporting at least 0.3 million tons of wheat prior to arrival of the new produce in March.