HYDERABAD:Sindh government has set a target to procure 1.4 million metric tons of wheat from all over the province which include 2.4115 million maund wheat from Hyderabad division for which gunny bags will be provided to growers.
This was informed by Sindh Secretary for Food Raja Khurram Shahid at a meeting held here on Tuesday under the chair of the Commissioner Hyderabad Nadeem ur Rehman Memon.
The divisional and district officers of Hyderabad including Deputy Director Planning Sanaullah Rind, Deputy Director Food Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah, Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad Fuad Ghaffar Soomro and District Food Controller Roshan Ali Mangi attended the meeting in person while the Deputy Commissioners and district
officers of food department of all districts of Hyderabad division participated in the meeting through video link.
The Secretary Food informed the meeting that in accordance with the decision of the Sindh Cabinet, the divisional and district vigilance committees have been formed under supervision of the Commissioners of all divisions and Deputy Commissioners of all districts of the province respectively for procurement of wheat from
growers.
These vigilance committees will also ensure the transparent distribution of gunny bags to growers, said and added that these committees have also been authorized to take legal action against those officers found involved in corrupt practices during procurement of wheat.
The government has issued strict directives for transparent distribution of gunny bags to growers, the Secretary informed and added that according to decision, priority has been given to distribute gunny bags to those growers who possessed ten or less acres of land under which 100 gunny bags of 100 kg and 200 plastic bags of 50 kg will be provided to these growers.
Similarly, he informed that the growers who possessed 30 acres of land would receive 500 gunny bags of 100 kg and one thousand plastic bags of five kg while the growers who have 50 acres of land would get 100 gunny bags of 100 kg and 2000 plastic bags of 50 kg.
He informed that wheat procurement centers have been set up in all over Sindh which included 78 centers in all districts of Hyderabad division from where the growers can get gunny bags after verification of required documents.
The Secretary maintained that the target of wheat procurement will be achieved at all costs. The government has already imposed ban on middlemen to purchase wheat directly from growers while the seed companies and flour mill owners have also been asked to submit daily wheat stock report to concerned department, he informed and asked to deputy commissioners and district officers of the food department to implement the decision of the government regarding wheat procurement in letter and spirit.