VEHARI, March 28: The provincial food department has closed eight wheat purchase centres in the district.

The closure of these centres has created apprehensions among the growers that they would be forced to sell their crop at throw-away price as they had been doing for the last two years.

Last year, 12 centres were set up in the district of which eight centres at Adda Qaum Husain, Chak 65/WB, Pakhi Morr, Ratta Tibba, Pipli Adda, Mian Pakhi, Chak 477/WB, and Chak 481/EB have now been closed down.

This year, the district is likely to produce more wheat than that of last year due to recent rain. Unfortunately, instead of enhancing the purchase target, the food department and Passco have reduced the target. The district Nazim also seems helpless before the Passco and the food department.

Last year, the Nazim demanded of the governor during his visit here, to assign the duty of purchase to the food department instead of Passco and enhance purchase target, but no action has so far been taken in this regard.

Meanwhile, farmers’ representatives Rana Tasawar Ali of Kissan Mahaz, Tufail Warriach of Kissan Board Pakistan, Sardar Muhammad and Maqbool Khan Khichi, demanded of the government to enhance wheat purchase target, besides increasing the number of purchase centres.

POSTPONED: The Jashn-i-Baharan has been postponed due to US invasion of Iraq.