In stasis: Stay order stalls G-B govt’s decision to abolish wheat dealership

The administration was unable to implement the replacement system of ‘sale points’, causing a wheat crisis.

GILGIT:

A court in Gilgit has stayed the government’s decision to replace the existing system of wheat distribution through dealers in the region.

The stay orders came on Saturday after some politicians and wheat dealers filed a petition in the Gilgit civil court challenging the government’s decision to abolish ‘dealerships’ for wheat distribution in the market and replace it by ‘sale points’.

“It’s our victory, a victory of the aggrieved families,” petitioner Hasan Khan said on Sunday. Khan is a senior leader of former president Pervez Musharraf’s party – the All Pakistan Muslim League – in G-B.

On the directives of Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and G-B Barjees Tahir, the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) administration had announced ‘sale points’ will replace dealerships. In a meeting held earlier this week, Chief Secretary Mohammad Younus Dagha decided 70 sale points will be set up in Gilgit to replace dealers. These would be supervised by the food department and village committees to ensure a smooth supply of wheat to the public.

The move came on the back of the minister’s maiden visit in July. Tahir was hounded by allegations of mass corruption in the dealership system; critics termed it a “goldmine” for politicians.

Talking to journalists, Tahir had wondered why G-B had more than 50 flour mills given the mountainous region’s capacity to produce wheat is very low. In addition, he pointed out, the federal government had been supplying two million wheat bags to G-B on subsidised rates since some time.

Under the dealerships system, listed vendors across G-B have a wheat quota from flour mills to sell it forward at a fixed price.

However, after the decision of doing away with the dealership system, authorities failed to set up any ‘sale points’. As a result, a wheat crisis started brewing in the region.

“We are sure the court’s decision will end the crisis now,” said Khan. The court has summoned the G-B food department and the aggrieved dealers to the next hearing, scheduled for Friday.

The dealers had earlier threatened to protest against the government if the dealership system was not restored.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2013.