The Punjab government has requested that the SC give direction for a uniform support price for the procurement of wheat throughout the country. PHOTO: INP/FILE
Opposing the fixation of the support price for wheat made by the Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) governments, the Punjab government has expressed its apprehension before the Supreme Court (SC).
The Punjab government has said that it will not be able to procure its target of wheat due to the decision made by K-P and Sindh.
The Punjab government also complained that the provincial governments of K-P and Sindh has put the food security of the whole country at risk by creating a market distortion, adding that the governments are violating the established norm of the uniform support price across the country.
On the other hand, the K-P government has already approached the SC against the Punjab government's blocking of the supply of wheat to the north-western province.
“The federal government fixed the support price for wheat crop 2013-14, at Rs1200/40 Kg. [The] support price [was] announced in the month of October in order to [give] growers an incentive to [produce] more wheat," the application stated.
It further said that "keeping in view the difficulties of [the] poor man and the affordability aspect, the government of Punjab maintained the support price of wheat procurement at the rate of [Rs]1200/ per 40 Kg, whereas K-P and Sindh governments unilaterally increased the rates of procurement of wheat from Rs1200/40Kg to Rs1250/40 Kg at the time of harvesting.”
Similarly, Additional Advocate General Punjab Razaq A Mirza on behalf of additional secretary food department on Monday submitted an application in the SC regarding the increase in the price of flour.
The Punjab government has requested that the SC give direction for a uniform support price for the procurement of wheat throughout the country, so as to ensure food security targets in the public interest. The copy of the application is available with Express Tribune.
Moreover, the Punjab government added that the food department and the Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) are unable to secure their targets of wheat procurement for food security fixed by the federal government.
The federal government had fixed a target of 1.6 million tons for the Punjab Food Department and 1.6 million tons for PASSCO.
“[An] ncrease in [the] support price at the time of harvesting only benefits traders and middlemen, and has [an] adverse impact on poor consumers,” the Punjab government contended.
It also said that the public interest demands a uniform wheat support price for wheat across the country, and free movement of wheat and wheat products which should be done by the federal government.
The Punjab government has also rejected the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led (PTI) K-P government’s concerns regarding the ban in the movement of wheat to the north-western province.
The application also said that the wheat procurement policy of Punjab for the scheme 2014-2015 does not contain any restriction on free movement.
“The food security requirement of Punjab, keeping in view urban population and other factors, is 2.8 million tons. [However], government of Punjab purchases and maintains a wheat reserve of more than 4 million metric tons to cater for the need of sister provinces.”
It further added that this year, Punjab released 40, 23000 metric ton and assisted sister provinces - mainly K-P - by providing 12, 23000 metric ton wheat or wheat flour paying subsidy and incidental charges from its own exchequer.
"The real issue is that wheat is the staple food and traditionally, the federal government use[d] to announce a uniform support price in consultation with the provinces till this year,” the Punjab government said.
The Punjab government also claimed that it had issued directions to all departments concerned to ensure free movement of wheat and wheat products inside and outside Punjab.
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@Ali I am sure you have depicted a higher level of intellect so Mr. Genius, the shipping of Wheat and Rice generates revenue for Karachi, if there is no shipping there is no elusive 70% Karachi revenue but yes what ever floats your boat. If there is XX tons of yield, there cant be XX+Y tons available for consumption. Perhaps, other people should pay up to buy what they need and things will not go to Middle East. Simple economy my friends.
However, the real issue we have here is lack of planning efforts, no water management, Kala bagh dam stupidity from smaller provinces, yield fully dependent on weather and here you have chronic shortages.
@H Chaudhry: Then you should also tell mother earth to export your rice and wheat to foreign countries from under ground and not from Karachi. Your reply shows your level of intellect.
@Gul Try telling that to mother earth or mother nature that drives yield or try telling your politicians to stop being stupid and let reservoirs or dams constructed or better yet try reducing smuggling of your Wheat in to Afghanistan. There is so much the land may produce.
@Zain: It is the responsibility of Federal government to stop smuggling. Also FATA comes under Federal government. KPK hasn't got any border with Afghanistan apart from chitral.
Punjabis need to understand that the other provinces aren't colonies of Punjab.
We demand respect and autonomy.
Can KPK enforce law in the province so wheat isn't smuggled to Afghanistan in large quantities, raising prices domestically?