Food dept shaken up to avert wheat crisis
PHOTO: FILE
The Punjab Food Department has carried out major transfers and postings to increase transparency in the government's wheat procurement campaign and flour crisis.
The district food controllers in 32 districts of the province have been reshuffled with several being reported back to the food department headquarters, as per the notification issued by the provincial secretary for food.
Various governments in the past have taken measures to make the annual wheat procurement campaign of the government transparent and free of any embezzlement. However, reports of corruption in the procurement process continue to surface every year.
The recent flour crisis in the Punjab province has forced the authorities to take major reforms in the province which produces the most wheat but people were craving for wheat grains and fighting for bags of flour.
Taking note of the situation, the Punjab government decided to make large-scale reforms in the food department and appointed Muhammad Zaman Watto as the food secretary.
In the first phase, he improved the supply of flour and wheat in the province. Now, in the second phase, concrete steps have been taken to make the government's wheat procurement campaign transparent for the next year. Food Secretary Muhammad Zaman has issued transfer and posting orders for officer-level posts of the department for all 32 districts of the province.
Among them, District Food Controller (DFC) Muhammad Akram Dogar has been transferred from Vehari to Lahore, DFC Hasnat Asif from Pakpattan to Sheikhupura, Amanullah Soomro from Faisalabad to Gujrat, Shamaila Bano to Toba Tek Singh, and Zaheer Ahmed Mayo from Lodhran to Kot Addu.
DFC Ali Imran has been transferred from Sahiwal to Rajanpur, while DFC Asghar Sahu has been directed to report from Rajanpur to the Directorate of Food Lahore.
Fazal Abbas has been posted from Chiniot to Khushab. DFC Nazir Ali has been transferred from Chakwal and directed to report to the Directorate of Food Lahore.
According to the officials of the Punjab Food Department, corrupt officers posted at the same place for years have been replaced to make the wheat procurement campaign transparent.
“Only honest and reputable officers will be appointed to important posts,” the secretary said.
Earlier, Punjab Food Secretary Mohammad Zaman Wattoo has suspended District Food Controller Liaqat Abbas on corruption charges related over corruption charges in the transfer of food inspectors.
The suspension was based on an official report. Zaman Wattoo stated that there is zero-tolerance for corruption, and they cannot entrust the important task of ensuring transparency in the wheat procurement campaign to corrupt officers.
He emphasised that the food department has no place for corrupt officers and will appoint officers with a good reputation to important positions.
“The aim is to ensure transparency in the wheat procurement campaign in the province to avoid a wheat or flour crisis in the future,” he remarked.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2023.