Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Minister for Food Zahir Shah, conducted a thorough inspection of the wheat godown in Mardan, on Friday. During the visit, the minister was accompanied by deputy director and district food officials , meticulously reviewed all arrangements related to wheat procurement at the godown.
According to the briefing received by the provincial minister, the wheat godown in Mardan has a storage capacity of approximately 28,000 metric tons, with an existing stock of around 6,000 metric tons from previous seasons. Zahir Shah instructed to ensure all necessary measures a for wheat procurement during the ongoing season, including the installation of additional surveillance cameras for strict monitoring.
Shah emphasized the KP government’s commitment to transparency and quality control in the wheat procurement process. He highlighted the institution of committees at the district level, comprising officials from the food department, district administration, NAB, and anti-corruption agencies, to oversee the procurement process and prevent malpractices.
“Concerned district godown would be purchasing point for the procurement”, said the minister, adding that this step aims to ensure thorough examination of wheat quality and quantity at godown.
Furthermore, Toru stated that the provincial government will purchase 300000 metric ton local wheat at a rate of Rs 3,900 per 40 kilograms, benefiting both local growers and saving significant funds for the provincial exchequer. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparency in line with the vision of founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan.
Responding to a question from the media regarding concerns raised by Punjab farmers, the minister criticized the previous caretaker federal and Punjab governments for excessive import of wheat, which has adversely affected local farmers. He attributed this to the previous caretaker governments’ focus on benefiting the sugar mafia, which could have negative repercussions on wheat production in the coming year.
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