03 May 2004	Monday	12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

OKARA, May 2: A small quantity of wheat is reaching the open market this year as compared to the last season. Passco and Food staff posted in the district are the most worried lot these days as they are struggling to meet their procurement targets.

Passco's wheat purchase target is 900,000 bags (each bag weighs 100kg) from Okara tehsil whereas the Food people are purchasing the commodity from Deepalpur tehsil with an almost double the target.

But so far, according to the sources, they have hardly procured 30 per cent wheat. "It is almost impossible to meet the target," admitted a Food employee. "The reason is very clear. The private sector not only offers a better price but also lifts the wheat from the farmer's doorstep," he said.

In Okara and Deepalpur tehsils, market sources said, the flour mills had established their storages where they were stocking the grain. A food official complained that Passco teams were also making purchases from Deepalpur illegally.

CLOSURE: Thousands of people have been facing problems for the last two months after the closure of the level-crossing at Chak 3/4-L near the GT Road by the railway authorities.

As per reports, the level-crossing had been established about 15 years ago to facilitate sugarcane growers of over 20 villages of military farms. For this purpose, a contract had been signed between the Railways and Baba Farid Sugar Mills located on Okara-Faisalabad Road that salaries of the railway staff would be paid by the mills.

But it was alleged that the salaries were withheld by the mills administration due to which the railway authorities had closed the level-crossing. In this duel, however, only the local people are suffering badly as the Sugar Cess Road is linked by the Courts Road and Central Benazir Avenue.