BAHAWALPUR: The Lodhran district administration and officials from the food department conducted raids at Pull Skindari, Mujahidabad, village 21-MPR, Sukkura Morr, and Aish Morr in Gailwali, seizing 50,000 maunds of wheat.

The hoarded wheat was being taken out of the district, which violated the inter-district ban on wheat movement.

Nineteen individuals were arrested for alleged hoarding of sugar and fined.

According to an official press release, a total of 50,438 wheat bags (each weighing 50 kilograms) have been seized in the Bahawalpur division. Additionally, 52 FIRs have been registered, and 33 vehicles have been impounded by the police in three districts.

NAROWAL: The district administration confiscated 47,473 bags of wheat that were being transported out of the district.

The district’s wheat procurement target for this year is 650 metric tons.

Checkposts have been set up by the district administration to monitor wheat movement. So far, the food department officials and district administration have discovered 16,264 bags of hoarded wheat in rice mills and warehouses.

Shahnawaz Chohan, the district food controller, reported the seizure of 11,339 bags of wheat in Zafarwal tehsil, 11,719 bags in Shakargarh, and 13,515 bags in Narowal.

An FIR has been registered against ten wheat smugglers. People claim that wheat is being sold at prices ranging from Rs4,200 to Rs4,500 per maund instead of the government-set price of Rs3,900 per 40kg.

OKARA: Acting on a tip-off, Assistant Commissioner Dilawar Khan, along with District Food Controller Umair Sagheer and the police, conducted a raid in Mehdi Shekhuka village near Haveli Lakkha and seized 1,500 bags, each weighing 100kg.

The administration arranged for the hoarded wheat to be transported to the Haveli Lakkha procurement centre.

GUJRANWALA: The Hafizabad administration seized 47,300 sacks of wheat and sealed several warehouses.

Assistant Commissioner Mansoor Hussain recovered 11,500 sacks of wheat hoarded in Bhawan Kalan, Kaliki, Sawanpura, and other areas.

Assistant Commissioner of Pindi Bhattian Rashid Iqbal conducted raids in warehouses in Jalalpur Bhattian, Sukhiki and other areas, resulting in the seizure of 35,800 sacks of wheat.

Exit points in the district have been closely monitored under the instructions of the deputy commissioner to prevent illegal wheat smuggling.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2023