VEHARI
A farmers’ body has alleged that during the current wheat procurement campaign, the Food Department had misappropriated millions of rupees while the higher authorities were reluctant to take action against them.
During a protest, the farmers’ representatives alleged, “The food officials have taken at least 25,000 bags of 50-kg from the growers for personal use while the payment for the huge quantity of wheat was made from the national exchequer. The misappropriated money has been shared by the food officials.”
Against the alleged misappropriation, the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad held the protest demonstration in Vehari. PKI District President Iftikhar, General Secretary Akram Kamboh and other farmers. They said that at the centres, no merit policy was being followed. They said that District Food Officer Malik Zaman and other staff took one kilogramme additional wheat on each bag of 50-kg without paying for the extra quantity, causing the farmers financial loss.
In the name of damp and soul in the wheat, heavy deduction was made from produce and that extra wheat was taken, they said. They strongly protested against the department and demanded that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif should take strict action against the corrupt officers.
They said that the Food Department staff through millions of rupees corruption was making their properties. It is very strange that the government had never took notice of the ill-gotten money by even low staff members who have become millionaires overnight.
When the contact, District Food Controller Malik Muhammad Zaman said that there were 12 wheat purchasing centres in Vehari having all the basic facilities. “We have achieved 80% target in Vehari with purchasing of 129,753 metric tonne wheat,” he said.
The protesters’ representatives then met with MNA Tehmina Doultana who said that she would raise the issue in the parliament and action would be taken against the food officers if found guilty. She demanded that if the Food Department personnel were involved in corruption, the government should take action against them.