RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government is giving a Rs150 billion subsidy for wheat in the province and has fixed the price of wheat flour at Rs805 for a 20kg bag.

At a meeting to review the performance of the district food department at his office on Wednesday, Rawalpindi Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood said: “4,000 metric tons of wheat has been released into the market to overcome the wheat shortage.”

He said that all the Rawalpindi division deputy commissioners should monitor the price of wheat flour and ensure it is not sold for more than the price fixed by the provincial government.

“Check posts will be established in all four districts so wheat cannot go outside the Rawalpindi division and a special permit should be issued to vehicles that take wheat flour to other cities,” he said.

“Any vehicle caught on the roads without a permit will be unloaded and the wheat flour sold at the official price in nearby areas,” he said, adding that hoarding and overcharging will not be tolerated and officials will face disciplinary action if they are found to be negligent.

Admin trying to implement price list but food prices in open market is a demand, supply issue, Rawalpindi commissioner says

Mr Mehmood also told the press at his office that the government is spending Rs60bn on constructing a ring road from Rawat and Sangjani to overcome traffic congestion.

He said: “Underpasses will be constructed at Katchari Chowk and Ammar Chowk while Liaquat Bagh Chowk will be signal free,” he said.

He added that underground car parks are being planned and the station headquarters and Rawalpindi city administration is working in this regard.

He added that the administration could not control the prices of edibles in the open market as this was a demand and supply issue. But, he said, the administration is trying to implement its official price list in consultation with stakeholders.

Mr Mehmood also reviewed development projects in the district and asked the local government to complete development projects without delay.

Accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Saifullah Dogar, he directed the local administration to complete health and education work and provide other civic facilities to citizens.

He said streetlights and cat-eyes should be installed on the main road along the Nur Khan Airbase so people do not face difficulty at night and during foggy conditions. Road patchwork will also be carried out as soon as possible.

Mr Mehmood said the staff shortage in union councils should be met and contractual staff deployed so official work does not suffer.

“The law and order situation in all the areas of Rawalpindi will also be improved,” he said.

He said: “The Wah General Hospital will be completed within two months so the rush at three government-run hospitals of Rawalpindi city ends and people do not travel to the city from other tehsils. The District Health Authority should improve its working.”

Mr Mehmood said no polio cases had been reported in Rawalpindi, and this status needs to be maintained by vaccinating all the children in the district.

“The health department should focus on those areas where polio virus has been found in the sewerage and should also train the vaccinators,” he said.

The dengue prevention campaign should begin in the spring so no one contracts dengue in the summer, he added.

The meeting was informed that the Punjab government launched 153 development schemes under its Community Development Programme and 196 schemes under the Annual Development Programme of Punjab. In addition, 80pc of the funds have been received and the rest will arrive next month.

Development schemes will be completed in time, by the end of the fiscal year, and funds will not lapse, the meeting was told.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2020