ISLAMABAD, May 17: The government on Saturday warned wheat hoarders of confiscation if they did not release their stocks to procurement agencies by Monday.

A meeting, chaired by the food and agriculture minister, took the decision. A press release issued by the ministry (Minfal) said the meeting agreed on seven steps for tackling the wheat crisis:

— Procurement of wheat by the public sector agencies should be encouraged by paying farmers transportation charges at the rate of Rs25 per 100kg bag for bringing wheat to procurement centres in view of increase in prices of petroleum products;

— For sending wheat to the NWFP and Balochistan, the Pakistan Railways should be used as the sole mode of transportation;

— The wheat hoarders will be warned to offer their wheat to the public sector procurement agencies in the 48 hours otherwise their stock will be confiscated;— The informers of hoarded wheat will be adequately rewarded. The information can be provided on phone numbers 03018551322 and 03005004925;

— The Minfal minister decided to hold meetings with chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh to review the wheat procurement situation and to discuss measures to accelerate its pace;

— The wheat stocks held by flour mills over and above the sanctioned quota will be confiscated;

— Commercial banks have sanctioned limits to the private sector for the procurement of wheat and the Minfal would ensure that necessary provisions of the policy are complied with.—APP