Wheat harvest: ‘Hand out gunny bags at govt buildings’

LHC directs Food Dept to stop distribution from politicians’ houses.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday directed the food secretary to distribute gunny bags among farmers at a government location instead of the house of a local MNA or MPA in Nankana Sahib.

Justice Khalid Mehmood Khan issued these directions while disposing of a petition filed by a farmer accusing the secretary of distributing gunny bags for the wheat crop on political grounds.

Justice Khan observed that such activities should be done on the behalf of the government instead of individual politicians. The secretary, who was in attendance, pledged to comply with the court’s orders.

Every year, the Food Department hands out gunny bags to farmers this time of year. The farmers fill the bags with wheat and then sell them to the government at a controlled rate.

Talat Mahmood of Nankana Sahib had submitted that the government had delivered the gunny bags to MPAs and MNAs, who were in turn distributing them among farmers who supported their parties.

Therefore, farmers not affiliated with their parties were being discriminated against. He asked the court to direct the secretary to ensure the provision of bags to all farmers regardless of their politics.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2012.