Punjab to send 5,000 tons wheat to KP daily: Usman Buzdar

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to dispatch 5,000-ton wheat to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on daily basis. The decision was made in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar at his office on Monday.

Addressing the meeting, the CM said that helping people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is our responsibility, adding that the Punjab government would provide wheat from its stock as a goodwill gesture to help overcome flour shortage there.

He also ordered for continuing steps for stabilising the price of flour, adding that unjustified increase in the price of chakki flour would not be tolerated. The meeting was told that the Food Department inspected 1,119 flour mills and took action against 542 mills by suspending their wheat quota.

Similarly, 88 flour mills’ licences had been suspended and fine worth Rs 14 crore was imposed. Along with it, the sale of flour bags was continuing on fixed rates at sale points of different districts.

The provincial administration and the Food Department officials had also been activated to stabilise price of flour. The chief minister reiterated that ample wheat stocks were available and there was no flour shortage, adding that he personally monitored flour availability during visits to various districts. He ordered for strict monitoring of wheat grinding at flour mills.

The law is in action against the mills involved in sale of wheat quota in the open market and action was in progress against the Food Department officers involved in irregularities, he added.

The secretary food said that around 25,000-ton wheat was being provided to flour mills. Senior PTI leader Jehangir Khan Tareen, provincial ministers Samiullah Ch, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Mussarat Jamshed Cheema, MPA, chief secretary and others attended the meeting.