MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 8: The AJK government has approved several schemes costing Rs106.181 million to improve the wheat and wheat flour storage and transportation system in the state.

This was stated by AJK Food Minister Raja Abdul Qayyum Khan at a news conference here on Thursday. The projects, he said, included construction of 27 new food depots and warehouses along the Line of Control and other remote areas at a cost of Rs89.3 million. Along with new warehouses, residential quarters and offices of food inspectors would also be constructed, he said.

Rs10.53 million were being spent on the repair of the existing warehouses, the minister added. He said the AJK government was providing wheat and flour at uniform price in every area of the state. The increase in wheat and flour price in Pakistan would not make any major effect on prices in the AJK, he claimed.

Responding to a question, Mr Khan said the yearly wheat requirement in Azad Kashmir was 400,000 metric tons, of which 200,000 metric tons were arranged by the food department from the government of Pakistan, whereas the rest was met by the consumers from open market and local resources.

In reply to another question, he said a 24-kanal piece of land was in the possession of the AJK food department in Islamabad, where its directorate office and a big warehouse would be constructed.