SIALKOT, May 8: Taking notice of the distribution of gunny bags among “favourites” of Nazims, MPAs and MNAs, the intelligence agencies have started monitoring the process at official wheat procurement centres in both Sialkot and Narowal districts, according to official sources.

The agencies were also monitoring the activities of local political figures for saving gunny bags’ distribution and wheat procurement from local politics, the sources added.

Sialkot District Food Controller Mohammad Taufeeq on Thursday visited various wheat procurement centres in Sialkot district and examined the process of wheat procurement and distribution of gunny bags.

Later, talking to newsmen in Daska city, the DFC claimed that the food department was facing difficulties in purchasing wheat directly from growers, who preferred to sell their produce to middlemen and mill-owners.

He said that almost all commercial banks had issued short-term loans to flour mill-owners and middlemen for purchasing wheat directly from growers. Mill-owners and middlemen had also advanced handsome amounts to last year’s financial crisis-hit wheat growers, binding the latter to sell their wheat to them. Besides, growers were getting “better prices” for their produce from flour mill-owners and middlemen, he added.

The food department has established 14 wheat procurement centres in Sialkot and Narowal districts where more than 10,486.9 metric tons of wheat has so far been purchased.

The Punjab government has fixed a target of 1,10,000 metric tons for wheat procurement in Sialkot and Narowal district.

However, wheat growers said that the food department’s procedure for distribution of gunny bags and wheat procurement was still as complicated as last year’s. They were of the view that the recent heavy rains and dust storms had damaged the standing wheat crop in Sialkot and Narowal districts, affecting the yield.

PROPERTY TRANSFER FEE: The social, political and religious circles of Daska tehsil have protested against the proposed increase in the property transfer fee charged by the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA).