Illegal movement of wheat: Punjab Food dept withdraws letter seeking police help

LAHORE: The high-ups of provincial Food Department, who formally sought help from police on Tuesday for action against flour mills involved in misappropriation of subsidised wheat, later withdrew their letter in this connection on the same day.

It is learnt that Ali Sarfraz Hussain, Secretary Food Punjab, wrote a letter to IGP titled ‘illegal movement of wheat and wheat products out of Punjab province. He was wary of the fact that wheat is being released to flour mills from Food Department’s godowns on subsidised rates in order to ensure provision of subsidised flour in the market at the rates fixed by the government but it is not being processed accordingly by some players.

It has come to the knowledge of the Food Department that some flour mills owners in the Punjab are indulged in moving subsidised wheat stocks out of the province for higher gains rather than grinding it as per approved policy, he stated. It is therefore requested that field formation of Police Department may please be directed to prevent the illegal/unlawful and undocumented movement of wheat out of the province to prevent potential loss to public exchequer, the secretary said.

However, this letter was withdrawn on the same day by the provincial Secretary Food. Nevertheless, sources said that in addition to involving police contingents for deputing at provincial exit points, provincial Food Department should physically check record of wheat released to mills and its grinding coupled with supply of flour to market. Moreover, past practice of reconciling data of wheat grinding with power bills of respective flour mills should be conducted religiously by the staff concerned of provincial Food Department. This action would result in prompt administrative action against the flour mills and thus helps in preventing illegal practice of selling wheat in open market instead of grinding.

Meanwhile, Haji Yousuf, Chairman Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA), while commenting on reported action against flour mills, was of the view that government should discontinue policy of providing subsidised wheat to flour mills in first place, saying this mechanism always promotes corruption. Secondly, he said there should be no ban on inter-provincial transportation of wheat in any circumstances.

On the other hand, Majid Abdullah, a central leader of Progressive Flour Mills opined intervention in wheat market always led to distortion due to multiple reasons including poor administrative practices. He alleged that certain mills are involved in illegally trading officially released subsidised wheat hand in glove with the food department.

In the meantime, it is learnt that federal government has asked law enforcing agencies including FIA to take strict action against smuggling of food items including wheat and its products. Government may initiate action against officials involved in this practice too. The prime minister was very angry at the reports of smuggling of food items out of country. Hence, FIA and other agencies have been issued strict guidelines to take steps on district levels to check smuggling and illegal trade of food items.