NAROWAL: The district administrations of Sialkot, Kot Addu and Okara seized 90,000, 5,000 and 36,000 wheat bags, respectively in different raids on Sunday.

The Sialkot administration seized 90,000 bags of wheat worth Rs440 million. As a result, six rice mills have been sealed, and an FIR has been registered against the accused.

Deputy Commissioner Adnan Mahmood Awan conducted a crackdown on hoarding based on a tip-off in Daska’s area of Saranwali.

Mr Awan stated they received information that the owners of rice mills had bought wheat and kept it hidden in their warehouses. During the operation, 17,000 bags of wheat were recovered from Mili Rice Mills, 17,000 bags from Hatim Rice Mills, 12,000 bags from Kisan Rice Mills, 17,000 bags from Iman Rice Mills, 14,000 bags from Abdullah Rice Mills, and 13,000 bags from Modern Rice Mills.

The recovered wheat has been handed over to the Foods Department, and legal action will be taken against the owners of the rice mills, the DC said and added the government has set a target of 90,000 metric tons of wheat for the Sialkot district this year. To facilitate this, 1,258 empty bags have been distributed to farmers and 10 wheat purchasing centres have been established throughout the district. The administration has bought 573,466 bags of wheat in the ongoing drive.

MUZAFFARGARH: Up to 5,000 wheat bags were seized, and a stockpiler was arrested during a raid conducted by agriculture officials and the police in Kot Addu district in Ahsanpur.

The bags were illegally stored in two warehouses. The raid was carried out by Agriculture Assistant Director Talha Sheikh. The godown at the government seed farm was sealed, and one Samiullah was handed over to the police.

Deputy Commissioner Salman Khan claimed that the value of the seized wheat was over Rs25 million. The assistant director added that sensitive institutions are actively involved in preventing illegal wheat hoarding, and the targets for wheat procurement will be achieved at any cost.

On Saturday, the administration in Chowk Sarwar Shaheed arrested a hoarder and seized 400 bags of wheat. Sources mentioned that the food department has yet to meet its target, as the wheat is not visible in the fields. An official stated that the target for wheat in Muzaffargarh and Kot Addu districts was 141,000 metric tons across 17 wheat procurement centres, but only 80,000 metric tons of wheat have been purchased so far.

OKARA: The administration prevented the transportation of 36,000 kg of wheat outside the district limits, which violated the inter-district ban imposed by the Punjab government.

Renala Assistant Commissioner Chaudhry Ziaullah, along with officials from the Food Department and the police, seized 12,000 kg (300 mounds) of wheat in village Kaloowal, and 10,000 kg (250 mounds) in village Chuchak. In both incidents, tractor-trolleys were impounded at the local police station, and the wheat was transferred to the Bama Bala procurement centre.

Additionally, Food Inspector Ajmal Hussain, accompanied by the police, intercepted a tractor-trolley loaded with 14,000 kg (350 mounds) of wheat near Haveli Lakkha. The wheat was taken to the Haveli Lakkha wheat procurement centre, and the vehicle was impounded at the Haveli police station. Cases were registered under the Punjab Food Act in relation to each incident.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2023