HYDERABAD, April 16: The adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister on Food and Agriculture, Murtaza Jatoi, paid surprise visits to wheat procurement centres at Hala, Sakrand and Qazi Ahmed on Saturday, and directed that notices be issued to centre in charges for adulteration in the grain as well as less than usual weight of the bags.

The adviser was acting on complaints he had received that proper weight of bags was not maintained and that rubbish was mixed in the grain.

On checking the record, he directed that the procurement in charge of Panj Moro, Hala taluka, as well as the centre in charge of Qazi Ahmed should be issued show cause notices.

Warning that he would pay surprise visits to procurement centres in all the districts to check their working for himself, Mr Jatoi said that if any complaint was received about the delivery of gunny bags to middlemen instead of farmers and proper arrangement was not made for storage of the grain, strict action would be taken against the irresponsible officer and his service terminated.

He directed deputy directors, district food controllers and procurement centre in charges to ensure that the target of 500,000 tons of wheat was achieved.