Wheat soaked deliberately by Food officials in Sahiwal

LAHORE: After Okara, intentional soaking of wheat stored in Punjab Food Department godowns in rain has been detected in Sahiwal district with a view to allegedly balancing unaccounted for stocks.

Meanwhile, the food department has also initiated action in this regard.

Sources said here on Thursday that deliberate wetting of stored wheat has been detected in 47/5-L and 150/9-L centers in Sahiwal district. While putting the whole blame on the lower staff, the Sahiwal division food deputy director issued a show-cause notice to the center incharge of 47/5-L center only.

The sources alleged that the other accused center incharge had been exonerated in initial inquiry.

The show-cause notice issued to incharge of 47/5-L center says there is a sufficient ground for leveling charges of inefficiency, misconduct and negligence on account of non-caring government wheat stock scheme 2020-21 at 47/5-L center, Sahiwal.

The officials concerned have also been accused of willfully not covering the stored wheat during the rain.

More worryingly, in a blatant violation of standard operating procedures (SoPs) the food department has started releasing wheat to flour mills from covered warehouses instead of open stocks.

According to the SoPs, the food department always releases wheat from open gowdowns (ganjis).

This violation will make the open stocks vulnerable to loss from weather-related hazardous, the sources said.

The sources said that fungus-bound wheat, which is injurious to health, was being released to flour mills from several centers of the food department.

A flour mill owner has asked fellow millers to be careful of lifting wheat from Okara district, as thousands of sacks missing from the centers, including Head Sulaimanki, Mandi Ahmadabad,

Rajowal and Havailian, had actually been sold in the open market when grain prices were high about six months back. To balance these unaccounted quantities, he said, moist wheat is being dispatched to Lahore mills.