Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said provision of wheat at affordable prices and unhindered availability of the commodity is top priority of the government and directed to ensure its obstacle free inter-province movement.
The PM expressed these while chairing a meeting here on Monday to review steps taken to reduce prices of edible items in Pakistan. The Prime Minister instructed all the provincial chief secretaries under the chairmanship of Minister for National Food Security Syed Fakhar Imam to evolve a coordinated strategy to ensure sufficient stock of wheat in every province as per its needs along with uniform prices of wheat and flour in all the federating units.
He directed that farmer and common citizen should be the axis of this strategy as elements involved in profiteering and hoarding in the past had deprived the farmer of his due profit in the past, while the common citizen was compelled to buy flour at higher rates.
The Prime Minister directed to adopt a zero tolerance policy against adulteration. He also directed to take effective action against hoarders of sugar in light of the Joint Investigation Team’s report.
Briefing the meeting, Chief Secretary Punjab informed that 716 tons of flour and 16, 0008.5 tons of sugar worth over one billion rupees have been confiscated from big hoarders of sugar and dealers.
It was told that prices of sugar is less in Punjab as a result of effective measures taken by the administration in the province. The Chief Secretary apprised the participants that the Punjab Government is going to release wheat worth 35 billion rupees, which will help end flour shortage as well slashing prices of the wheat and flour in a gradual manner.
