HYDERABAD, Sept 18: Sindh Abadgar Board president Abdul Majeed Nizamani, has said that it is shameful on the part of the government that while the wheat growers has produced a bumper crop of 23.5 million tons against the requirements of the country and Afghanistan of 22 millions tons, 70 per cent of the rural population was forced to purchase wheat flour at Rs22 per kg.

In a statement faxed to Dawn here on Tuesday, he said that when the government had announced Rs250 subsidy on phosphatic fertilizer per bag in Rabi season, the growers had promised that they will produce 1.5 million tons surplus wheat after meeting the requirement of Pakistan and Afghanistan which stood at 22 million tons.

He said the growers had honoured their promise by producing a bumper crop of 23.5 million tons but the government had failed to control wheat smuggling which was its duty.

He pointed out that Dr Ashfaq Hassan Khan, adviser to the Finance Ministry, had himself admitted that the government had totally failed to control wheat crisis.

He said that he had conceded as published in the Sept 13 issue of Dawn that 1.5 million tons of wheat had been smuggled just within 45 days and that 200 trucks of wheat were being smuggled to India from Khokhropar and Wagah daily in addition to smuggling through Balochistan.

Mr Nizamani said that even today black marketers were withholding two million tons of wheat.

He claimed that there was a mafia within the government which was not interested in checking smuggling.

He reminded the government that the government had purchased wheat from the growers at the rate of Rs10.62 per kg which was far less than the rates prevailing in all the countries of the world. He said it was an irony that 70 per cent of the rural population was forced to purchase flour at the rate of Rs22 per kg. He said it was the height of inefficiency of the government.

He pointed out that on July 15, the public sector was in possession of 4.8 million tons stock which was 21.81 per cent of the total requirement of the country. He said the prevailing state of affairs was a conspiracy against the agriculture sector and the solidarity of the country. He said, despite producing bumper crop, the government was now obliged to import one million tons of wheat due to the crisis.

He demanded of the President of Pakistan to order a high level inquiry into the wheat scandal and take stern action against the bureaucracy of the department concerned, hoarders and import and export mafia.

He expressed fears that if the government failed to recover two million tons of wheat still lying with the hoarders, the government will have to import 2.5 million tons of wheat at the rate of Rs2,400 per bag (100 kg).

Meanwhile, the deputy director food Hyderabad within just 24 hours, has withdrawn his letter dated Sept 17, allowing the office-bearers of roller flour mills and chakkis to lift wheat from the Hyderabad wheat godowns only in Ramazan.

The letter, a copy of which has been obtained by Dawn said, “The office bearers of roller flour mills and chakkis have attended office of the undersigned and requested for postponement of lifting of wheat from Bolhari godowns during Ramazan as they are facing problems in transportation of wheat during the holy month of Ramazan.”

The letter further read, “Their request has been considered after detailed deliberations and they have been allowed to lift (wheat) from Hyderabad as usual only in Ramazan.”

However, on Sept 18 the deputy director food, has written another letter to the district food controller Hyderabad, directing him to ask the mill and chakki owners to lift 20 per cent wheat of 2004-05 crop against their share from Bolhari wheat godowns immediately till clearance of said stock.

It will be interesting to note here that only two days back the chakki owners at a press conference had said that 2004-05 wheat stock had been damaged. They had further said that they had to pay transportation charges of Rs3,000 per truck for lifting wheat from Bolhari whereas the transportation charges in Hyderabad was only Rs1,800 per truck.

Meanwhile, the president Atta Chakki Owners Association Hyderabad, Haji Nawab Ali in a communication addressed to the food secretary Sindh has proposed that if the quota of the chakkis was increased from 54 bags per unit per week to 100 bags, he will ensure that during Ramazan, the chakki owners of Hyderabad sold flour to the public at Rs15 per kg.

He said the poor people during the sacred month will get nutritious flour.