Pb. Govt decides to abolished delivery charges on wheat: Zulfiqar Khosa

LAHORE, March 09, 2011 (PPI): Punjab government has decided to abolish the delivery charges on wheat during up-coming wheat procurement campaign. This decision was taken during a high level meeting of the

Committee to review proposals pertaining to wheat release policy 2010-11 under the chairmanship of Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa held at 90-Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam here today.

Chief Secretary Punjab Nasir Mehmood Khosa, Chairman Planning & Development Board Punjab, Javed Aslam, Secretary Finance Tariq Bajwa, Secretary Food Irfan Elahi and other concerned officers also attended the meeting.

In the meeting, it was decided that delivery charges on wheat which has been fixed Rs. 7.50/- earlier would not be taken during wheat procurement campaign. The meeting was informed that available stocks of wheat were 6.66 million ton out of which 3.33 million ton wheat has been disposed off and now available stock of wheat is 3.33 million ton while 2.5 million ton of wheat would be remained available till the arrival of new wheat crop in the market.

The meeting was told that current year, the area of wheat has been cultivated on 16.5 million acre while expected production would be 18 million ton this year. The meeting was told that all

Arrangements would be given final shape till April 12, 2011 while from April 15, bardanas would be started to issue and expected date to purchase of wheat is April 17, 2011, while the government would buy wheat from farmers at the rat of Rs. 950 per 40 kg.

The meeting informed that the distribution of jute bags and poly propylene bags would be made in a transparent way and strategy has been worked out in this regard and private god owns will also be hired to store maximum wheat stocks in the covered accommodation.

On this occasion, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa said that the rights of small farmers would be protected during procurement campaign and the government would purchase wheat from farmers at the rate of Rs. 950 per 40 kg. He also directed the concerned authorities to solid steps to be taken to discourage the role of middleman during wheat procurement campaign so that real farmers could get real payout of their crops.