Lahore - Senior Minister for Food Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan has reiterated that only functional flour mills across Punjab should be given wheat quota and a survey of year-round mills has been started for this purpose with the help of sensitive agencies.
He expressed these views in a meeting with the delegation led by Mr. Asim Raza, Central Chairman, Pakistan Flour Mills Association. The minister said that on the directive of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government wanted to keep the price of flour to a minimum, therefore decisions have been taken to import wheat and release Government wheat to flour mills ahead of time.
The minister hinted that a new policy was being introduced for the food sector in Punjab in the next three months. he said that work was also underway on targeted subsidies on flour under which only deserving people would e provided with flour at low cost and data from “Ehassas Program” and Utility Stores would be used for this purpose.
He said that the amount of wheat released to the flour mills would also be imported to ensure the availability of abundant wheat reserves. Punjab Food Minister said that the farmers had got very good rate of their wheat this year but the Government was playing its effective role in keeping the prices of flour to a minimum despite the increase in the price of wheat.
Abdul Aleem Khan said that serious consideration was being given to provide maximum relief in wheat and flour prices to the common man and 10 major population wise districts of the province were selected for the release of wheat in the first phase. He said that the Flour Mills Association would be taken into confidence in this regard and their legitimate suggestions would be accepted.
The minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was personally interested in keeping the price of flour in Punjab to a minimum and that was why he got the matter approved by the ECC and the Federal Cabinet immediately. Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan listened carefully to the suggestions made by the Flour Mills Association and assured to include them in future policies.
Central Chairman, Flour Mills Association,Asim Raza, suggested that Government wheat should be released uniformly to all flour mills across the province instead of a few districts. He said that the flour mills would also ensure the supply of flour at the same rate across Punjab. He assured Senior and Food Minister Abdul Aleem Khan for full cooperation with the Government on this issue.