SUKKUR: A huge quantity of wheat is reported to have been misappropriated from procurement centres in Khairpur district. Sources said that as many as 27,500 bags weighing 100 kilogram each were missing from the government’s procurement centres in Ranipur, Gambat and Tando Masti towns of the district.

According to Khairpur District Food Controller Anisur Rehman, he had been receiving reports about theft of wheat bags from the centres and accordingly wrote to Sukkur-based Deputy Director of Food Sualeh Ahmed Magsi vide a letter (No.222 dated March 7, 2013) recommending an inquiry.

As of Saturday (March 10), a total of 11,360 wheat bags are missing from the Ranipur centre, headed by Riaz Ahmed Memon, 6,480 wheat bags are unaccounted for at the Gambat centre, headed by Abrar Ahmed Unner and 9,680 wheat bags are missing at the Tando Masti centre, headed by Waheed Ahmed Shaikh, according to Mr Rehman.

He said that the heads of these centres were not cooperating with him in locating the wheat stocks despite repeated directives.

“The matter requires a thorough investigation through an inquiry committee as it involves a huge wheat stock,” said Mr Rehman.

The sources said that theft of wheat in big quantities was rampant at several warehouses including those set up at Arain Road, Site area, Sukkur city, Rohri, Ali Wahan, Pannu Aqil, Danam-I and Danam-II. According to an estimate, as many as 100,000 wheat bags had been misappropriated from the warehouses over the past six months. They said that these warehouses had been established close to flour mills to ensure hassle-free transportation of stocks.

A vigilance officer of the food department, Mohammad Hussain Ghumro, was asked to look into the matter but no inquiry or action was initiated in this regard.

There are instances where some officials are placed under suspension until the matter of missing wheat stocks is investigated but the officials concerned are reinstated even after it is established that the stocks was stolen.

In one such case, an official, Waqar Awan, was sacked on account of wheat misappropriation but was not only reinstated but given a key post in the department.

Owners of some flour mills and chakkis told this correspondent that a retired school teacher hailing from Balochistan and having close links with a minister was instrumental in misappropriating big stocks of wheat. Reliable sources confirmed that the stocks stolen from warehouses, silos and procurement centres were usually transported to Karachi and other towns of the province for sale to flour mills there at a rate of Rs3,300 a 100-kg bag as against the official price of Rs2,800.

This correspondent contacted Hussain Bukhsh Bhutto, a district-level officer in the food department and a member an investigation team from Karachi with the task of detecting the pilferage, to seek his version but Mr Bhutto evaded all questions, saying that he would make public the probe team’s findings only after submitting the relevant report with the authorities concerned.

Sukkur Deputy Director of Food Sualeh Magsi said he was collecting facts from all centres in Sukkur and Khairpur district and would be able to share the details after verifying them.

Food Director Talib Magsi, based in Karachi, could not be approached despite repeated attempts.