LAHORE: Senior Punjab Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has directed the Punjab food department to finalize recommendations regarding new wheat procurement and distribution mechanism by the end of this month for its submission to Prime Minister Imran Khan for final approval.

The new mechanism should be drafted in a way that maximum subsidy given on flour should reach the needy and deserving consumers. Aleem Khan, who also holds the portfolio of the food minister Punjab, issued these directives while presiding over the meeting of cabinet committee which reviewed the initial policy recommendations here on Monday.

The meeting was also attended by Agriculture Minister Hussain Jahanian Gardezi, secretary food and senior officers of relevant departments in which the current situation of wheat and flour, new policy and subsidy system were discussed in detail.

The minister told the meeting that with the decision to import wheat, the situation has returned to normal in the province and there is no shortage of wheat and flour anywhere in Punjab. He added that 8 out of 20 ships of imported wheat have arrived and 7 ships of wheat have been distributed among flour mills while this process will continue till February 2021. He said that 1.138 million metric tons of wheat out of the total imported grains will be given to the flour mills in Punjab.

Commenting on the purchase and distribution of wheat and subsidy on flour, Abdul Aleem Khan said that the Punjab government has to bear a financial burden of Rs. 100 billion annually but still the common man is not benefiting out of the current system so we are going to change it. He said the subsidy on flour in the new system would be for the poor only and more than the current rate as low price flour at the government's expense is too much for all.

Briefing the cabinet committee, which lasted for more than two and a half hours, the secretary food and director food told that the department has ample quota of wheat and has taken action so far against 1947 flour mills for violating the prevailing rules and regulations. The quota of 20,169 metric tons has been suspended while various flour mills have been fined Rs 73.9 million rupees while licenses of 23 mills have been revoked. Similarly, the food department is monitoring the situation of wheat and flour on a daily basis as well.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020