SAHIWAL, May 19: Supervisory committees constituted by the district government to look after the interests of wheat growers at the purchase centres have bitterly failed in their task.

The district government had appointed supervising committees comprising union council Nazimeen and councillors at 17 wheat purchase centres.

As is now Food purchase officials have purchased 1.23 million wheat bags of 100 kilograms each to achieve half of the given target. On the other hand, the purchase staff has collected excess weight of two kg on each 100 kg wheat bag from growers.

Thus extra weight calculated on the purchased bag of 100 kg each comes in shape of 24,600 more wheat bags of 100 kg each valuing at Rs18.45 million.

It is evident that Food Department purchasers in connivance with purchase committees have cheated and deprived local growers of millions of rupees.

Last year, an army monitoring team had raided godowns of the Food Department and found excess weight of wheat bags packed in godowns.