THE loopholes in the supply and distribution system of government wheat in Chitral have given a free hand to contractors and the officials concerned in manipulating the sale of the commodity in the district.

Sources in the local food department say there are no proper ways and means to keep tabs on possible misappropriation of the commodity during its transportation, stocking and distribution. Even physical verification of stocks, according to the sources, is rarely carried out.

People usually complain of getting inferior quality of wheat, mixed with all types of dirt, which is sold to them for Rs840 per 100kg bag after the government pays the fare.

Cases were registered against a large number of people in various villages who had been associated with the sale of the stuff. Many of them still languish in jail for the alleged malpractice while some were forced to pay for the shortfall.

But surprisingly, none of the officials, including the godown clerks, have ever been held responsible for their alleged misdeeds.

The people having knowledge of the system say the contractors usually sell the commodity at will before it reaches the specified centres, but receive the full transportation charges and later implicate the local people through tricks and pressure tactics. In the past, even a former MPA had been accused of draining out the allocated wheat to Afghanistan in the black market.

In a number of cases, the clerks were reported to have forcibly taken written undertakings from the local godown-keepers showing the stock in order on paper, to meet audit requirements.

They reportedly promised that the shortfall would be supplied to the godowns later, but afterwards left them in the lurch.

The district receives a monthly quota of about 2,200 to 2,500 tons of wheat from the provincial food department, which is supplied to various stations, provisional stock centres and sale points set up in various villages across the 14,800 square-kilometre district.

Last year, the annual supply was cut to 19,500 tons and the sources feared that from this year, it might be further reduced as only 12,000 tons of wheat had so far been supplied to the district.

The supply remains static round the year while demand for the commodity fluctuates, shooting up in October and November when the people usually stock food for the whole year.

Since its establishment in 1970, the food department has witnessed a steep rise in the demand of wheat due to rapid growth of population and decline in the local production of cereals.

Assistant Food Controller Rauf Aman told Dawn that to facilitate the public in the scattered and far-flung villages, the department had opened up 75 sale points in various parts of the valley apart from the sanctioned 30 reserve centres.

In these sale points, he added, the wheat was stored and distributed under the supervision of private persons nominated by the people of the respective villages.

He described as a smear media campaign the allegation that the local officials mixed spoiled wheat with fresh supply and sold it to the public.

The official said that over 1,500 tons of wheat in the district had become infested over the years and an inspection team formed on the instruction of the NWFP chief minister was in the district to find out ways to dispose it of.