0
MIRPURKHAS, March 3: Growers have started selling their wheat in the open market as they are getting Rs400-450 against the official rate fixed at Rs350 per 40 kg.
The Sindh government had directed the food department officials to start wheat procurement from March 1 in the district. However, the wheat growers are preferring to sell their wheat privately instead of to the food department.
Deputy food director Saleem Raza Khero held a meeting with officers and food inspectors on Wednesday to review the situation and directed the officials to ensure achievements of the fixed target of wheat procurement in the district.
The food department officials said that due to holidays of Muharram the procurement had not begun. The Sindh food secretary had directed the food officials to set up 17 more procurement centres in the district, increasing the total number of wheat centres to 70.
FLOOR CRISIS: Flour crisis continued in the district due to non-allocation of wheat quota to chakkis and flour mills. A large number of chakkis had already been closed in the district due to curtailment in their quota.They found it hard to run their chakkis with such short quantity of wheat.
INQUIRY: EDO health Dr Fazal Illahi Yousfani has ordered an inquiry into the death of a Ayub, son of Sattar Arain, 14, due to hydrophobia. The boy died after his anti-rabbies vaccine course was completed from the civil hospital Mirpurkhas.
Dr Khadim Memon has been appointed as inquiry officer. Seven months back Ayub was bitten by a stray dog in Baboo village.
BY-POLLS: A joint meeting of the Citizen Action Committee and the Aurat Foundation on Monday decided to begin canvassing for women candidates in by-elections in the district.
The meeting resolved to set up camps in this connection on March 3, 4 and 5 in Mirpurkhas and Umerkot towns to provide information to candidates. It appointed Imtiaz Panhwar and Bhagwandas Mehraj as coordinators for the campaign.
The Taluka-level coordinators included Azhar Abbas for Mirpurkhas, Dr Tanveer Bhatti (Digri), Khalid Babbar (Kot Ghulam Mohammad), Bhagwandas (Umerkot), Shahida Samo (Kunri), Fayyaz Shahani (Samaro) and Mumtaz Arisar (Pithoro).
The training workshop and seminars would be held for women candidates for providing them information regarding the procedure of balloting and the devolution system.
