Farmers to take food officials to NAB

HYDERABAD:

Upset by the alleged corruption in the distribution of gunny bags worth billions of rupees, the farmers representing the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) have decided to file a case against the provincial food department officials in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A meeting of the SCA on Sunday evening, chaired by its president Dr Nadeem Qamar, decided to take the issue to NAB, as they believe billions of rupees have been embezzled.

According to the growers, the food officials either sell the bags to private wheat purchasers representing the flour mills or force the wheat farmers to pay a price between Rs100 to Rs200 for each bag. The Sindh government began the free distribution of 24 million bags of 100 kilogrammes capacity and 48 million bags of 50kg capacity from March 1.

"Despite repeated assurances by the government and the Sindh food minister, nothing has changed," claimed Qamar.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2015.