ISLAMABAD, May 11: The plan to implement the prime minister’s zero-hunger programme in 45 extremely food insecure districts of the country seems to have fallen victim to red-tapism.

On March 21, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced that the government would provide 0.5 million tons of wheat for conversion by the World Food Programme as ready-to-use food for distribution in the needy districts, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

However, sources said, the finance ministry was willing to give only 50,000 tons of wheat.

The ministry of national food security and research had sent a summary to the finance ministry but received no response so far despite repeated requests, the sources said.

The programme is designed for five years and the government of Pakistan committed to release 0.5 million tons of wheat every year. The WFP executive director is ready to visit Islamabad to inaugurate the programme.

The prime minister has already approved school-feed programme in the 45 districts and special nutrition programmes in collaboration with the WFP and FAO for breast-feeding mothers, pregnant women, and children less than five years of age.

According to an agreement with the WFP, the government will establish ‘zero hunger shops’ in urban slums and rural areas of the designated districts.

A source in the WFP said an amount of $9 million earmarked by the UN organisation for the programme might lapse if the Pakistan government delayed the handover of wheat.