WHEAT SMUGGLING NOT TO BE TOLERATED, VISIT OF CENTERS AT S. PUNJAB

SR. MINISTER ASSURES FARMERS TO GET DUE PRICE OF WHEAT

WHEAT SMUGGLING NOT TO BE TOLERATED, VISIT OF CENTERS AT S. PUNJAB 

Senior Punjab Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has said that for a farmer his crop is everything and farmers will get their due price and no excess weight will be tolerated in the ongoing wheat procurement drive. He said that the Punjab Government has alleviated the problems of the farming community by providing open access to “bar dana”. He added that the people of Punjab have the first right to wheat and other provinces will not be allowed smuggling and hoarding at any cost. He expressed these views while presiding over a high level meeting in Bahawalpur on the occasion of his visit to South Punjab. Abdul Aleem Khan said that he has been visiting South Punjab since taking over the Ministry to take on ground view of the problems of the cultivators in remote areas. Senior Minister for Food Abdul Aleem Khan also visited various wheat procurement centers where talking to the farmers he said that they should not be blackmailed by anyone as the officials of the Food Department have been directed to pay them actual amount of wheat. He also asked the farmers about their problems on which most of the people expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made by Food Department and said that they have no complain so far.

Talking to media, Abdul Aleem Khan clarified that wheat would not go out of Punjab without a proper permit. He further said that Punjab Government has also sought a written reply from KPK to state the demand for wheat in its province and Punjab will meet it. Replying to a question, the Senior Punjab Minister assured that he would bring the matter to the notice of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar to provide relief to the farmers whose wheat crop was affected by the rains so that their problems could be resolved. Secretary Food Punjab Waqas Ali Mahmood and Commissioner Bahawalpur Asif Iqbal Chaudhry briefed the Senior Minister on wheat procurement campaign in Bahawalpur Division.

Meanwhile, Senior Punjab Minister Abdul Aleem Khan was warmly received by Members of Punjab Assembly Bahawalpur Division in which Gazin Abbasi, Ehsanul Haq Chaudhry, Dr Muhammad Afzal and Iftikhar Gilani were included. They Congratulated to Abdul Aleem Khan on assuming the portfolio of Senior Minister for Food in Punjab Cabinet. PTI leaders of Bahawalpur Division Farzand Ali Goheer, Asghar Ali Joya, Sameera Malik, Malik Usman Channar, Inayat Karim and Nabil-ur-Rehman also called on Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and congratulated him by presenting bouquet of flowers. Talking on the occasion, Abdul Aleem Khan said that we are all party workers and faithful to the mission of our leader Imran Khan. He said that Imran Khan's 23 years of struggle has brought color and now it is up to all of us to make his vision a success. Abdul Aleem Khan asked the PTI members to identify the problems in their areas so that they could be resolved immediately.

Apart from Bahawalpur, Senior Punjab Minister Abdul Aleem Khan also visited Rahim Yar Khan where he held a meeting with the district administration to review the wheat procurement drive and briefed the local officials of the Food Department. He said that all possible facilities should be provided to the farmers at the wheat procurement centers and they should not be dealt with underweight policy for wheat purchase. In Rahim Yar Khan Members of Punjab Assembly and local PTI leaders led by Rana Raheel Ahmad Khan also called on Senior Minister Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan and congratulated him on holding the office of the Senior Minister Punjab.