FAISALABAD: The Food Department keeps wheat bags in the open in its 14 stores of Faisalabad, only manned by club-wielding watchmen.

As many as 160,000 matric ton wheat is being kept in these stores having no boundary walls.

Six of the stores have been set up in Faisalabad city and one each in Buchiana, Jaranwala, Jhok Ditta, Rodala Road, Tandlianwala, Mamunkanjan, Samundri, Darul Ahsan and Kunjwani.

Sources said the department deployed their employees as the watchmen who did not have proper security training.

One watchman, they said, had to ‘protect’ the stores in a shift of 12 hours without any weapon to confront thieves or irrelevant people at night.

A guard said they were forced to perform duty for 12 hours daily as officials said owing to shortage of staff, guards had to work in two shifts.

He said no overtime had been paid to them for years, whereas others officials enjoyed perks and privileges.

“We know that not a single officer will speak for us in case we get injured by robbers,” he added.

Justifying security measures, an official of the department, said the chances of the theft of a wheat bag was unlikely because it would be difficult for them to steal a 100-kilogram wheat bag. He said it would not be possible for thieves to load bags on trollies as “our measures would not let them to do so”.

He admitted that thieves had tried to steal bags at some points but without any success.

District Food Controller Zainul Abideen said they did not demand budget for boundary walls and other security measures construction of such stores for a couple of years.

Due to this, he said, no arrangements had been made for construction of boundary walls.

“We have approached the Punjab government for funds to be used for the repair of the stores,” he added. Once the budge is granted, he said, security measures would be taken.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2019