Wheat procurement uninterrupted in K-P

Procuring 300,000 tons of grain costs Rs29b: minister

PESHAWAR:

Wheat procurement in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is proceeding without impediments, despite the economic challenges, as Minister for Food, Zahir Shah Toru, disclosed the initiation of procuring 300,000 metric tons of wheat, amounting to Rs29 billion.

This procurement operation, which commenced on May 7, is slated to span a duration of two months.

Minister Toru, during his visit to the wheat godown and procurement center in Abbottabad, alongside MPA Iftikhar Jadoon, was apprised by the district food controller of the preparations made for wheat procurement. These arrangements included the installation of CCTV cameras in the godown, equipped with a storage capacity of 18,000 metric tons of wheat.

In his address, Minister Toru underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to easing the burden on local farmers amidst economic adversities. He emphasized the criticality of transparency throughout the procurement process. To this end, he instructed officials to strictly adhere to the principle of ‘first come, first served’ in the wheat procurement process.

This decision to procure wheat from local farmers was made with the intention of fostering community benefits, with projected savings of Rs12 billion for the province.

Minister Toru unequivocally cautioned against any involvement in corrupt practices during the procurement process, emphasizing the government’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption, a stance consistently championed by PTI founder, Imran Khan.

Recently, Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur visited the Provincial Reserve Center (PRC) of the Food Department in DI Khan, where he ceremoniously inaugurated the wheat procurement process for the current season.

Accompanied by Provincial Minister for Food, Zahir Shah Toru, and senior officials from the Food Department and district administration, Chief Minister Gandapur was briefed comprehensively on matters pertaining to wheat procurement and storage arrangements.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Gandapur announced the procurement of 300,000 metric tons of wheat from the province’s farmers, with an allocation of 40,000 metric tons from local farmers of DI Khan.

The wheat is being procured at a rate of Rs3,900 per 40 kg, amounting to a total cost of Rs29 billion.

Gandapur reiterated the provincial government’s unwavering commitment to the prosperity and facilitation of farmers as a top priority. He pledged that farmers would be guaranteed their due rights without any impediments or obstacles.

Measures have been implemented to ensure transparency in the procurement process, including the establishment of committees at the district level, a dedicated control room, and the introduction of an online app for streamlined operations.

Furthermore, Gandapur emphatically emphasized the provincial government’s uncompromising stance against corruption and bribery across all governmental domains. Stringent punitive actions would be meted out to both perpetrators and instigators of corrupt practices.

He implored citizens to eschew any involvement in corrupt activities and assured them of the government’s steadfast commitment to maintaining transparency in all governmental affairs.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2024.