GUJRANWALA, April 19: Provincial Food Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal has said the wheat purchase is being started from Thursday (today).

At a meeting held here on Wednesday, he said that 281 procurement centres had been set up across the province for this purpose which would remain open from 7am to 7pm daily.

The minister said that wheat growers would be paid Rs415 per 40kg besides delivery charges.

He directed the food staff to provide immediately empty bags to farmers according to their requirement. He pointed out that monitoring teams had been constituted to ensure procurement in a transparent way.

The deputy director (food) and other senior officials were also present on the occasion.

ISSUED: A local court on Wednesday issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of arts council former resident director Niaz Likhwera, two drama producers Arif Malik and Amir Shahzad and actress Saima Khan for not appearing before court.