| ACs to inspect wheat storages of seed companies
KHANEWAL – Deputy Commissioner Salman Khan Lodhi chaired a meeting here Friday to review the ongoing wheat procurement strategy after Punjab government increased the overall wheat procurement target of the province.
The target was expanded from 4 million to 5 million metric ton, elevating Khanewal target from 230,000 to 285,000 metric ton. To check wheat hoarding, DC Salman Lodhi ordered officials to check the godowns of all seed companies and take stern action against them if found to be keeping wheat stocks more than the quantity they required to produce seed.
Lodhi also formed teams headed by assistant commissioners to inspect the wheat storages of seed companies. Khan said that officials would have to employ all their skills and energies to meet the new wheat procurement target and made it clear that wheat hoarders and smugglers would be dealt with iron hand.
ADCR Omar Iftikhar Sherazi, Assistant Commissioner Iqra Mustafa, District Food Controller Mahr Muhammad Ijaz, Deputy Director Agriculture Dr. Iqbal Niazi, and Assistant Director Federal Seed Certification Department attended the meeting. Later, the DC conducted a surprise inspection of wheat procurement centers at Batta Kot and Sardar Pur where he checked the records. ADCR Omar Iftikhar Sherazi and Assistant Commissioner Nadeem Dehar accompanied him.
Flour mills, seed companies told to declare wheat stocks
Deputy Commissioner Amir Karim Khan asked all flour mills, commission agents and seed companies to declare their wheat stocks in a bid to check hoarding after Punjab government increased the wheat procurement target.
Presiding over an official meeting with flour mills owners, seed companies representatives and commission agents, DC sought their full cooperation in meeting the enhanced wheat procurement target of 5 million metric ton. He said that district government would plug all chances of shortage of wheat and added that stock and supply chain of the flour mills and seed companies would be monitored closely.
Amir shared that wheat procurement target was increased to benefit farmers and added that wheat procurement centers have been told to be more effective in procurement drive. DC Karim thanked flour mills for uninterrupted supply of wheat flour (Atta) bags to Ramzan Bazaars.
Khan urged the flour mills not to let price of wheat go up abnormally. He warned that a crackdown would be launched against flour mills in case of violation of wheat policy.
