Punjab to issue wheat quota to active mills

Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has reiterated that only functional flour mills across the province should be given a wheat quota and a survey of mills operating the year round has been started for the purpose with the help of investigative agencies.

He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association led by its Central Chairman Asim Raza. The senior minister said that on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the ministry wished to keep the price of flour at the lowest possible level. Therefore, a decision has been taken to import wheat and release the wheat procured by the government to flour mills ahead of time.

He said that the same amount of wheat as released to the flour mills will be imported to ensure the availability of abundant reserves.

Abdul Aleem Khan hinted that a new policy would be introduced in the food sector of Punjab within the next three months for which work is underway on targeted subsidies on flour. “Only deserving people will be provided flour at a low cost and data from the Ehsaas programme and utility stores will be used for this purpose,” he added.

The Punjab food minister said that the farmers had received an excellent price for their wheat this year. “The government is playing its effective role in keeping the prices of flour to a minimum despite the increase in the price of wheat,” he added.

The minister said that serious consideration was being given to provide maximum relief in wheat and flour prices to the people and 10 major districts in terms of population had been selected for the release of government wheat in the first phase.

“However, the Flour Mills Association will be taken into confidence in this regard and their legitimate suggestions will be accepted,” the senior minister assured the delegation.

Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Aleem Khan said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was personally interested in keeping the price of flour in Punjab at a minimum level and that is why he had got the matter approved by the ECC and the federal cabinet immediately.

The Flour Mills Association delegates gave several suggestions to the senior minister who promised to include those recommendations in the future policies devised by the food department. Flour Mills Association Chairman Asim Raza suggested that wheat should be released uniformly to all mills across the province instead of a few districts.

“The flour mills would also ensure the supply of flour at the same rate across Punjab,” he maintained.

He also assured Food Minister Abdul Aleem Khan for full cooperation to the government on this issue.

The delegation of the association also included its Punjab President Abdul Rauf Mukhtar, Mian Riaz Ahmed, Shaukat Hayat and Farrukh Shehzad, who pointed out various problems being faced by flour mills in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2020.