Huge wheat cache recovered
The district administration recovered hundreds of tons of wheat and 10,000 bags of sugar in a raid on a warehouse in 269/WB areas of Lyallpur and Qadirpur China.
Wheat and sugar had been allegedly hoarded for making illegal profit.
District administration sources alleged that Tariq Arain, Amjad Butt and some others had stocked hundreds of tons of wheat “illegally” in village WB/369 of Dunyapur Tehsil.
On the direction of the Deputy Commissioner, Syed Mashhad Raza Kazmi, the district food controller raided the warehouse and confiscated the commodities.
The District Food Controller, Zaheer Mayo, said that the wheat confiscated was worth Rs200 million.
In another raid, the Assistant Commissioner of Kahror Pakka, Kaleem Yousuf, recovered 10,000 bags of sugar on a tipoff from Basti Lyalpur and Qadirpur China.
The warehouse was sealed by the administration and legal action initiated against the suspects.
Deputy Commissioner Syed Mashhad Raza Kazmi said that profiteers would face strict action.
It was reported on these pages earlier this month that wheat crops in Bahawalnagar were facing destruction due to adverse weather.
Heavy rains and stormy winds had sounded alarm bells for wheat farmers in the district.
The situation was said to be very critical due to climate change. According to the Department of Agriculture, 12% of the losses have been reported. According to the farmers, 25% of additional wheat crops had faced heavy losses, but more rains would prove to be a disaster for the wheat crop.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2023.