No shortage of wheat, flour: food minister

Cabinet committee reviews new policy on wheat procurement

LAHORE:

Punjab Senior and Food Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has said a new mechanism for procurement and distribution of wheat in Punjab should be formed at the government level in which maximum subsidy on flour should be provided to the consumers.

He directed the food department to finalise the recommendations for the new system by the end of December, which will be approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan, finally. The meeting presided over by Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan was also attended by Agriculture Minister Hussain Jahanian Gardezi, food secretary and senior officers of relevant departments in which the current situation of wheat and flour, new policy and subsidy system were discussed in detail.

Aleem Khan said with the import of wheat, the situation has returned to normal in the province and there was no shortage of wheat and flour anywhere in Punjab. He added that eight out of 20 ships of imported wheat have arrived out of those seven ships of wheat have been distributed among flour mills while this process will continue till February 2021. He said out of the total wheat imported 1.138 million metric tonnes of wheat 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 Rs100 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. The senior minister directed the food department to coordinate in the monitoring system at the borders of Punjab, ensure timely release of wheat to flour mills. He directed the officers concerned to maintain the current improved situation of wheat and flour in the province so that common man should not face any difficulty. The quota of 20,169 metric tonnes has been suspended while various flour mills have been fined Rs73.9 million rupees while licenses of 23 mills have been revoked.