MIRPURKHAS (February 23 2004): The licences of wheat traders in Sindh have been cancelled with immediate effect and now only Food Department will procure wheat crop, Sindh Secretary Food Department Muhammad Parhiyar said on Sunday

"No wheat trader will be allowed to procure wheat from 'Abadgars' and growers," he said while talking to journalists at the Circuit House here soon after arrival on a day's visit from Karachi.

He said a ban has also been imposed on transfer of wheat from one taluka to another taluka in the province.

The Secretary said that the new wheat crop is ready to be harvested in some areas of district Mirpurkhas and harvesting process of wheat was being launched in this district.

He said Food Department has set up wheat procurement centres in the district while the amount for purchasing wheat had been provided to the concerned bank.

Only Food Department will procure the wheat and hand over cheques of the amount to the abadgars and growers on the spot, he added.

Parhiyar said the Food Department would itself provide 'Bardana' to the 'abadgars' and load up wheat crop from the agricultural lands (Khara) of the growers.

Replying to some questions, he said in the past wheat traders hoarded wheat after purchasing at cheap rate and sold it on the occasion of wheat shortage in the market to get higher profit. "It will not be repeated now," he added.

He said licences of wheat traders of the entire province have been cancelled because they had failed to give a record of their purchase and sale of wheat.

"If any wheat trader is found purchasing wheat his procured wheat will be forfeited and legal action will also be taken against him." He said that wheat procurement target for Sindh province has been fixed at 0.6 million tonnes and the target for District Mirpurkhas has been fixed at 0.1 million tons.

He said the rate of imported wheat was quite high. So higher quantity of locally produced wheat would be procured so that flour in the local markets could be available to the masses at reasonable prices.

The Food Secretary said the condition of Food Department's godowns would be improved so that the stored wheat might not be affected or damaged by any pest or insect attack.

Parhiyar on this occasion assured the delegation of flour mills and chaki association that wheat quota would be provided to them according to current conditions.

He told transporters that their dues would be paid soon, and added that directive in this regard had already been issued by him.

Later, the Food Secretary visited the wheat procurement centres of Umerkot, Pithoro, Digri, Jhuddo and other areas of the district.

Courtesy Business Recorder