March 30, 2003	Sunday	Muharram 26, 1424

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MUZAFFARABAD, March 29: AJK Food Minister Raja Abdul Qayyum Khan on Saturday said there is no shortage of wheat or flour because the government is alive to people’s needs and has taken appropriate steps to deal any shortfall.

Talking to reporters he said that wheat and flour stock in Neelum Valley was enough to meet people’s requirements for the next three to four months. However, in case of emergency the government would over come the shortage by delivery through helicopters, he added.

Mr Khan said that he had issued warnings to food department officials to “mend their ways” and work to serve the people.

Stating that flour being supplied was of high quality, the minister said that however if anyone had any complaint he should be informed of it so that appropriate action could be taken.

Mr Khan warned that if any flour bag was found underweight or of low quality he would suspend everyone from director to inspector and shutdown the concerned flour mills.

The AJK wheat requirement was 500 metric tons per annum, of it 200 metric tons were met locally, 100 metric tons from the market and the rest was purchased by the AJK government from Pasco and Punjab government, he said, adding that the AJK government would shortly send a summary to the federal government asking it to provide subsidy on wheat directly to it instead of Pasco and Punjab government.