SUKKUR, April 28: Growers of the interior of Sindh have condemned the ban on the movement of wheat in the Sukkur region and demanded the lifting of the ban. According to the food department, the ban was imposed, so as growers could sell wheat to floor mills and the food department in their respective districts.

After the ban, officials of food department have impounded several truckload of wheat in the Sukkur region, and were forcibly unloading trucks at their procurement centres. The district nazim of Sukkur has under section 144 prohibited the movement and transportation of wheat only out of Sukkur district to other districts through rail, road, river or other means of transportation.

Information collected in this connection revealed that Sukkur district was given the target of 2,00,000 bags of wheat procurement, out of which only 20,000 bags of wheat have been procured so far, therefore, the district nazim has imposed a ban on the movement of wheat from outside the Sukkur district.

In this regard Dawn has learnt that, the wheat procurement target for the Sukkur region was fixed at 35,00,000 bags, out of which only 800,000 bags of wheat have been procured as yet, and the reason behind this is private dealers who are purchasing wheat from Rs.370 to Rs.380 per maund, while the government is purchasing wheat at Rs.350 per maund.

Food director Tanveer Qureshi said that besides the flour mill owners, cotton and rice mill owners were also purchasing wheat. He said that they have taken heavy loans from the commercial banks, and they are investing this amount over the purchase of wheat, instead of their own mill, and the government was discouraging these elements.

Growers claimed that the cheques issued to them by the food department, after the procurement of wheat, are not honoured on time, while the private purchasers give us cash payment, with an increase of Rs.30 per maund. They also alleged that weights of the food department were not accurate.

Growers have demanded that the food department should take efforts for the procurement of wheat at its own 100 procurement centres. They also demanded to the government to immediately lift the ban over the movement of wheat throughout the Sindh province.

It may be mentioned here that the Punjab government have also banned the movement of wheat and have announced that the ban will continue till the target of procurement is achieved.