Uninterrupted food supply to continue during lockdown

Rawalpindi : The local administration has ordered continuation of uninterrupted food supply like ‘atta’, pulses, rice, fish, meat, sugar, chicken, milk, vegetables, fruits and other necessary items to Rawalpindi district during lockdown days.

The Deputy Commissioner (Rawalpindi) on Tuesday issued a notification and directed Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Secretary to ensure an interrupted food supply chain here in Sabzi Mandis all around Rawalpindi district in this regard.

The local administration having 1,400,000 wheat sacks to fulfil the needs of residents of Rawalpindi district for 25 days.

On the other hand, profiteers and hoarders are selling all food items particularly vegetables and fruits in skyrocketing prices. They are taking full advantage of present ‘lockdown’ situation and creating an artificial shortage of food items.

Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Secretary Ghulam Abbas Mehar told ‘The News’ that he has assured continuation of interrupted supply of food items all around Rawalpindi district. We have 1,400,000 wheat sacks in storage which is enough to fulfil the needs of public for 25 days, he said. He also said that 40,000 wheat sacks will be off loaded in Rawalpindi on daily basis.

He has requested City Police Officer (CPO) and City Traffic Officer (CTO) not to disturb goods transporters on roads to ensure an interrupted food supply in Rawalpindi district. “If police or traffic police stopped goods transporters entering the city areas, it will create an unrest situation and transporters will never reach ‘mandis’ in time,” he said. Over 80 per cent food items come here in Rawalpindi from other cities therefore goods transporters will use motorway and GT Road, he said.

He said that few vegetables like onion, tomato and green chili arrive from Sindh while some vegetables are being supplied from District Attock. Similarly, milk and meat usually comes from Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin and Faisalabad. In addition to it pulses and grains are transported from parts of Central and Upper Punjab, we only receive wheat from Rawalpindi, he explained.