Subsidy on flour only for poor from next season: minister

LAHORE: Senior and Food Minister Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan has directed the Food Department that a new mechanism for procurement and distribution of wheat in Punjab should be formed at the government level in which maximum subsidy on flour should be provided to the needy consumers.

Chairing a meeting here on Monday, he said the subsidy on flour in the new system would be for the poor only, as low price flour for all at the government expense was not affordable. He directed the Food Department to finalise the recommendations for the new system by the end of December, which will be approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan, finally.

The meeting was also attended by Agriculture Minister Hussain Jahanian Gardezi, Secretary Food and senior officers of relevant departments, in which the current situation of wheat and flour, new policy and subsidy system were discussed in detail.

Senior Minister Abdul Aleem told the meeting that with the decision to import wheat, the situation had returned to normal in the province and there was no shortage of wheat and flour anywhere in Punjab. He said that 8 out of 20 ships of imported wheat had arrived; out of those seven ships of wheat had been distributed among the flour mills while the process would continue till Feb 2021.

He said that out of the total wheat imported, 1.138 million metric tons would be given to the flour mills in Punjab. Commenting on the purchase and distribution of wheat and subsidy on flour, Abdul Aleem said that the Punjab government had to bear a financial burden of Rs100 billion annually, but still the common man was not benefiting from the current system. That was why the government was going to change it, he added.

The senior minister directed the Food Department to coordinate with the monitoring officials at the Punjab borders, ensure timely release of wheat to flour mills and resolution of other day-to-day issues. He also ordered for maintaining the current improved situation of wheat and flour in the province so that common man should not face any difficulty.