LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that Punjab government has surplus wheat stock that is sufficient to meet food needs of the province.
The Chief Minister expressed these views while presiding over a high-level meeting here at Model Town to review wheat stocks and prices in the province. Senior adviser to CM Senator Sardar Zulfikar Ali Khan Khosa, Senator Pervez Rashid, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Agriculture Minister Ahmed Ali Olakh, Adviser Manshaullah Butt, MNA Saood Majeed, Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning and Development, Secretaries Finance, Agriculture, Industry and concerning officials were present on the occasion.
He said that there is no shortage of wheat or flour in any area and the prices are sustainable. He said that black-marketing of wheat will not be tolerated at any cost and the indiscriminate action will be taken against the elements involved in the black-marketing.
The Chief Minister said that the Punjab government currently has 2.7 million metric ton of wheat stocks that are sufficient to meet food needs of the province till the arrival of new crop, while the required wheat is also available for food security. He ordered the authorities to provide Rs15 subsidy on each flour bag in Sunday and Friday bazaars.
He said that Punjab Government is running a number of welfare programmes for the downtrodden people and lakhs of families are benefiting from them. The Chief Minister directed that the prices of wheat and flour should be reviewed on weekly basis and report be submitted to him in this regard. The Secretary Food gave a detailed briefing about the present stock of wheat and the new crop during the meeting.