HYDERABAD, March 13: The Sindh food department has completed arrangements for wheat procurement starting from March 15 and established 276 purchase centres for the purpose.
This was stated by the adviser to the Sindh chief minister on food and agriculture, Mir Murtaza Khan Jatoi, while presiding over a meeting of food department officials at the circuit house here on Saturday.
He said steps had been taken to ensure prompt payment to farmers.
The adviser said he had visited Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad regions to supervise arrangements to make the wheat procurement campaign a success.
He directed officers of the department to complete the fumigation work of wheat godowns and ensure payment of outstanding dues to transporters and transparent distribution of gunny bags among farmers before harvesting of wheat.
He further directed that no field officer should be posted at procurement centres against whom inquiries were pending. He said officers who had good relations with farmers should be given preference in postings.
Mr Jatoi directed procurement officers to ensure that the target of 500,000 tons of wheat was achieved.
He observed that the government had fixed an adequate price for wheat — Rs400 per maund — and hoped that due to the good weather, Sindh would produce a bumper crop.
Giving details about the procurement target, he said the Sukkur region had been given a target of 300,000 tons, Mirpurkhas 100,000 tons, Hyderabad 65,000 tons and Larkana 35,000 tons.
Among others, Sindh secretary for food Ghulam Abid Shaikh and food director Dr Tanvir Qureshi attended the meeting.
DEMO: Activists of the Pakistan Civic Forum, Hyderabad, held a protest demonstration outside the press club here on Sunday against the arrest of forum chairperson and former MNA Begum Salma Ahmad.
They carried placards and banners and raised slogans against the arrest of Salma Ahmad.
Speaking on the occasion, Rao Shahid Ali, Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, Syed Waseem Shah and others said arrest of Salma Ahmad in what they called a false case on the International Women’s Day had exposed the hallow claim of the government that it was working for welfare of women.
They warned that if she was not released immediately, a series of protest demonstrations would be held throughout Sindh.
SPSF: Activists of the Sindh People’s Students Federation observed a token hunger strike outside the press club here on Sunday to protest against registration of false cases against PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.
Led by Mukhtar Baloch, Mohammad Urs Solangi, Waris Baloch, Sarfaraz Laghari and others, the protesters demanded that the false cases against Ms Bhutto should be withdrawn and she should be allowed to return to the country.
They also condemned the registration of false cases against party leaders Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Sassui Palijo and others.
They demanded that assemblies should be dissolved and fresh elections should be held to restore a true democracy in the country. They opposed issuance of National Identity Cards to Biharis and Bengalis.
