ISLAMABAD: Provincial governments on Tuesday expressed firm commitment to accelerate the release of wheat from their official stocks in order to maintain smooth supply of the commodity and to counter the trend of rising inflation in the country.
The consensus to this effect was developed in a consultative meeting, which was chaired by National Food Security & Research Minister Syed Fakhar Imam.
The meeting was attended by chief secretaries of all provinces, who briefed the minister on the efforts being made to curb food shortage/inflation in their respective provinces.
The meeting was informed that Punjab had started releasing wheat from July 7, and that the quantity was increased from 16,000 tonnes to 20,000 tonnes per day. It was further informed that these releases would be increased to 25,000 tonnes per day, which would significantly bring down the prices of flour and wheat in local markets.
The Punjab chief secretary apprised the meeting that 196 Sahulat Bazaars have so far been set up across the province to ensure the supply of flour to the people at affordable rates.
Meanwhile, the Sindh chief secretary said that the process of regular release of wheat by the provincial government would start in the next couple of days.
The KP chief secretary informed that wheat release in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had started from of August 7, and that administrative measures were being taken to keep the prices in check.
He said that sasta bazaars were also being established across the province, adding that the official release of wheat by the KP government would be increased from 3,000 tonnes per day to 4,000 tonnes per day.
