KARACHI: Information Minister Sharjeeel Inam Memon on Monday said that the Sindh cabinet had decided to increase the support price of wheat for the next year to Rs4,000 per 40 kg from Rs2,000 as farmers were not in the position to cultivate their next crop because of huge losses due to floods.

He said that provincial cabinet had decided to establish a control room in the health department to provide immediate medical assistance to the flood victims, which would work 24 hours a day and any flood affected person from any city or village could contact on the UAN number for seeking medical assistance. “Apart from this, the medical units of Pakistan Army and navy are also engaged in providing medical facilities to the flood victims,” he added.

“Keeping this in view, the decision has taken to encourage the farmers to grow wheat so as to save the country from arising wheat crisis in next season,” he told a press conference.

He said that the farmers did not consider wheat a cash crop and so far majority of them only focused on sowing more cash crops.

Blames PTI for plotting to stop humanitarian aid to flood-hit people

He said that imported wheat cost to the government was at a rate of Rs8,000 to Rs8,500 per 40 kgs. “The quality of imported wheat is also not good, so why not we support our own farmers and buy their quality wheat at Rs4,000 per 40 kgs,” he added.

Mr Memonsaid that it was also decided in the cabinet meeting to release government wheat stock from warehouses on Oct 1 by keeping the increasing demand of flour, adding that the provincial government in normal situation always released government’s wheat stock on Oct 15 every year.

He added that a subcommittee of the cabinet comprising provincial ministers had been formed to devise a mechanism to transfer the benefit of subsidy to the genuine section of society.

He said that according to the provincial food secretary four to five per cent of the wheat in government warehouses was affected due to floods and rains, but the correct estimate could be made once the rainwater was completely drained out from the affected areas.

The minister said that the situation in certain flood affected areas was not normal due to problems in draining out rainwater including in Jhudo city of district Mirpurkhas. “The chief minister has given task to irrigation department and Pakistan Army to inspect and monitor the ground situation,” he added.

To a question related to street crime in Karachi, he said that provincial police and Rangers were taking action against the accused involved in street crimes in the metropolis and arrests were being made on a daily basis while many accused had been killed in encounters.

He said that the supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf hatched a conspiracy by making a fake picture viral on social media only to stop humanitarian aid to the flood affected people of Pakistan.

“As a Pakistani and in my personal capacity, I appeal to the federal government and the federal interior minister and all other institutions to take strict legal action against those who are involved in such a crime against Pakistan and the flood victims,” he added.

He said that he would file a writ petition on this issue in the Sindh High Court.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2022