'Wheat crisis has its roots in Usman Buzdar office'

ISLAMABAD: In a blatant violation of rules of business, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had interfered in the authority of the Food Department and transferred grade 16 and 17 ‘District Food Controllers’ on political basis in many districts of the province just after the procurement of wheat last year.

This is considered one of the major reasons for themismanagement causing present flour crisis in the country. The News has got copies of two official summaries, which were moved by the then Punjab Food Secretary Zafar Nasrullah Khan, in July and August 2019 seeking confirmation of transfers of 19 Food Department officers of grade 16 and 17 in several districts of the province.

The legal authority for transfer and posting of District Food Controller (DFC) is Secretary Food but here these appointments were made by the chief minister. A DFC is considered lynchpin of the whole wheat department operations for being head of Food Department in a district.

These summaries show that CM Secretariat was blatantly interfering in the transfers and postings made soon after procurement of wheat was completed. These summaries show the Secretary Food sending the summary to get written confirmation of postings made on the direction of the chief minister.

The chief minister, the official documents show, confirmed orders, which are not in his jurisdiction. Many of these DFCs, the sources said, than made unchecked and unaccounted releases from government stocks, which resulted in present crisis.

It is also learnt that these changes were made after a very professional and honest Secretary Naseem Sadiq refused to do so and was transferred only after two months of his appointment as secretary food.

“Wheat crises has its roots in Buzdar office,” an official source said, adding that the illegal interference by chief minister in purely administrative matters of Food Department has resulted in massive maladministration.

It is said that the office of District Food Controller is considered very lucrative. It is said that such is the situation of governance and political interference a head of Food Department in all important city of Rawalpindi is a teacher - an employee of Education Department.

The DFC is in charge of government wheat reserves in a district and thus has to manage wheat release to flour mills and ensure availability of wheat flour in market and also prevent wheat and flour smuggling. With such important duties, the position of DFC becomes critical for smooth food security operations.

A summary titled “Transfer/Postings of District Food Controllers (BS-17) and Storage Officer (BS-16) in Food Department”, dated July 11, 2019 sought CM’s approval to confirm orders of posting of DFCs of Bahawalnagar, Multan, Rawalpindi, Mianwali, Sheikhupura , Mandi Bahuddin, Gujranwala , TT Singh, Sahiwal etc.

This was the time when the province after procurement season of wheat starts of releases. All these stations, where the CM made transfers/postings of DFCs are considered very lucrative and favourite stations for food officials.

Similarly, another summary dated August 6, 2019 moved by Food Secretary Zafar Nasar Ullah sought CM confirmation of posting orders of DFCs posted in Jhelum, Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Layyah, Khanewal and Faisalabad.

An official close to Punjab CM office, however deny any wrongdoing in the affair, saying that the chief minister always upholds merit, law and rules and regulations.

According to sources, the modus operandi adopted in such cases is postings were made by secretary concerned on telephonic/verbal orders of CM conveyed by his Principal Secretary, and later on confirmed by the CM office on the summaries.

On both these summaries, the Principal Secretary who records orders of CM on all summaries recorded the following orders of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, “The chief minister has seen and is pleased to confirm”.

This is a formal confirmation of illegal interference of CM in Food Department administrative matters.

As per rules of business postings/transfers of DFCs (a grade 17 post) is within authority and responsibility of Secretary Food. But in this case CM usurped this authority to post handpicked officers in more than a dozen important districts without any consideration for law and rules.

According to an official source, for some time the chief minister had banned all transfers and postings and these appointments might be the consequence of same situation. However, the summaries neither talk of any ban nor seek the waiver for the ban but only seek confirmation.

The sources said that shortly before these contentious transfers and postings made by the chief minister, the then secretary food Naseem Sadiq, who is presently Commissioner DG Khan, was transferred within two months of his appointment.

Sadiq is a reputed officer and considered by his colleagues as a deliverer and no non-sense type officer. It is said that he would not have accepted any interference by CM office in administrative matters of Food Department.

Sadiq had posted all DFCs on merit - He also ordered inquiry into dubious releases to many flourmills, which were allegedly selling wheat to smugglers rather than grinding it. An officer, who has served in Punjab and Food Department, is of the view that posting of these officers on political and other considerations by Buzdar is the root cause of wheat crisis in Punjab and the country.

“This laid the foundations of mismanagement and corrupt practices in Food Department,” a source commented.