LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharifsaid that the provincial government will procure 4 million tons of wheat from farmers. He said this while presiding over a meeting here on Tuesday in which he also granted approval to wheat procurement campaign 2018.
He said that wheat would be purchased at the rate of Rs1,300 per mound and gunny bags would be provided to farmers at theirdoorsteps and this unique initiative would tremendously benefit the small farmers.
He said that a transparent and foolproof system should bedevised to provide gunny bags to farmers. He said that directprovision of gunny bags to farmers was an important step which would eliminate the role of middleman.
The Punjab government would provide every possible facility to small farmers during the campaign and such a system has tobe devised to provide maximum relief to them, he added.
He said that process of distribution of gunny bags would start from mid of April. He ordered that all facilities includingtents, fans and cold drinking water should be arranged at thewheat procurement centres for farmers.
The CM made it clear that posting of corrupt staff at procurement centers would not be tolerated at any cost. The provincial ministers, advisors and secretaries would visit procurement centers of the districts allocated to them.
Provincial ministers Rana Sanaullah, Malik Nadeem Kamran, Bilal Yasin, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Naeem Akhtar Bhabha, Advisor Dr Umar Saif, chief secretary, senior Member Board of Revenue, secretaries concerned and high officials attended the meeting.
