LHC Multan bench summons food officials tomorrow

Unavailability of gunny bags

MULTAN: The Lahore High Court, Multan bench, on Saturday summoned the Khanewal food officials on May 8 (tomorrow) on a petition filed against the unavailability of gunny bags for farmers during the wheat procurement process, the court officials said.

The petition was filed against the Punjab government, the Punjab Food Department secretary, the Khanewal DC, the Khanewal food controller, the Jahania AC, the Thattha Sadiqabad wheat procurement centre incharge and coordinator for unavailability of gunny bags. Earlier, petitioners Muhammad Iqbal, Nazir Ahmad, Muhammad Javed, Ashfaq Ahmad and others, alleged that the Khanewal food officials were involved in unwise and unjust distribution of gunny bags, depriving the petitioners of wheat procurement.

The petitioners alleged that the Punjab government through the Food Department had fixed the wheat support price to protect the financial interests of wheat growers.

The petitioners said that they went to the wheat procurement centre on April 22 to submit their applications for issuance of gunny bags and they completed required formalities on prescribed form.

Later, the petitioners added, they approached the respondent No5 Thattha Sadiqabad wheat procurement centre and respondent No6 coordinator of the wheat procurement centre on April 23. They said that they were forced to wait for five hours in extreme hot weather.

Later, the petitioners said, the respondents allegedly refused to provide them gunny bags by saying that they would be issued on first come and first served basis.

The petitioners said that the procurement centre coordinator informed them that the procurement centre had been shifted to other place on public request.

The petitioners said that the food officials again sought applications for gunny bags on April 29, but the officials only received four forms from growers.