Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif presided over a high level meeting regarding Wheat Procurement Campaign 2016-17. The meeting reviewed in detail the arrangements made for providing maximum facilities to the farmers at wheat procurement centers. Addressing the meeting, Shahbaz said that 376 wheat procurement centers will be set up across the province and maximum facilities will be provided to the farmers at these centers. He said that like previous years, interest of cultivators would be protected this year as well. He said that due returns will be ensured to the farmers and no one will be allowed to exploit them. He said that there is a bumper wheat crop this year and protection of interests of farmers will be ensured at every cost.
He directed that arrangements should be made to facilitate the cultivators at procurement centers. Shahbaz said that all necessary measures will be taken for stability of wheat prices and to ensure that cultivators are not affected by low wheat prices and recession in international market. He said that the process of distribution of gunny bags will be transparent like previous year and gunny bags will be issued on first come first served basis.
The CM said that middleman will not be allowed to exploit cultivators in the procurement of wheat and middleman or Arhti will not be able to participate in the process of wheat procurement. He said that complaint cells will be set up at provincial, divisional, district and tehsil levels. He said that any complaint in the procurement of wheat will immediately be addressed. Shahbaz said that an effective monitoring system has also been introduced with the help of information technology for ensuring transparency in wheat procurement process.