LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said Punjab government will safeguard the interests of the small farmers and no one will be allowed to exploit them. He said the period of token given for the provision of gunny bags to farmers having 12.5 acres of land should not be more than seven days and all DCOs and staff of the departments concerned should strictly implement this policy. He said the wheat procurement target could be increased beyond four million tonnes. The CM was presiding over a high level meeting held to review the wheat procurement campaign at the CMs Secretariat here Thursday. Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Finance Minister Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, Food Minister Nadeem Kamran Malik, Agriculture Minster Ahmad Ali Aulakh, MPAs Ijaz Shafi, Nadeem Abbas Khan Rabera, Awais Qasim, Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning and Development and other senior officers concerned also attended the meeting. Shahbaz said that the Punjab government has taken effective steps to ensure that farmers get timely payments of their produce and monitoring of these steps is being conducted on daily basis. The CM said he himself and provincial ministers are visiting various districts to review arrangements at the wheat procurement centres. He said small farmers should be provided gunny bags on priority basis. He said though the Punjab government has set a wheat procurement target of four million tonnes but it could be increased in the interest of the farmers. He said corruption would not be tolerated at the wheat procurement centres and if any official was found involved in irregularities, stern action would be taken against him. He said the government will construct silos for the storage of wheat and other crops to minimise the chances of their wastage. He directed to constitute a high-level committee, which will present recommendations within one month regarding construction of silos next year. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that provision of Sasti Roti to the deprived segments of the society is also a form of worship and this project of public service will continue indefinitely. He said flaws in the project will be removed for ensuring transparency. He said participation of all segments of the society will be ensured in this noble cause so that deserving persons could be granted their due right. He directed that a comprehensive system should be evolved for the monitoring of Sasti Roti project at every level for proper utilisation of every penny of public money. He said that instead of imposing fine on the Sasti Roti Tandoors engaged in irregularities, their registration should be cancelled and in case of any negligence, the DCO concerned will be held accountable. The CM announced that government will also start Langer Khanas in Lahore, Multan and Gujranwala with the cooperation of philanthropists and a strategy will soon be devised for this purpose. He said this while presiding over a high level meeting regarding Sasti Roti Programme at Chief Ministers Secretariat here Thursday. The CM said the common man is groaning under price-hike and increasing prices of oil and gas and loadshedding have made the life of the masses miserable. He said that if the government failed to provide Sasti Roti to the poor, it would be difficult for destitute persons to keep their body and soul together. He said that PML-N is determined to root out corruption and eliminate irregularities in Sasti Roti Scheme. He said PML-N has never raised the slogan of Roti, Kapra Aur Makan but has taken practical steps to prove its commitment to the welfare and uplift of the people. He said nothing could be more important than supply of Sasti Roti to the marginalised segments of the society. He said that through Sasti Roti Programme, the right of poor masses over national resources has been upheld and this revolutionary programme of Punjab government will continue and even the future governments will not be able to stop this welfare-oriented scheme. He said it is ironic that those who plunder national resources and usurp the rights of the poor are given respect but a welfare projects like Sasti Roti to feed the poor is criticised.