KP govt decides to increase wheat storage capacity

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Tuesday said that the wheat storage capacity will be enhanced to ensure the timely supply of wheat to the masses.

During the chairing of a meeting of the provincial food department, the chief minister was informed about the dissolution of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation Limited (PASSCO), which earlier would purchase and distribute wheat among provinces according to the quota.

An action plan was discussed and matters related to PASSCO’s dues also came under discussion.

The meeting made decisions to prioritize the payment of outstanding dues to local farmers for wheat procurement, to address the staff shortage needed to enhance the capacity of the food department, and to digitize matters related to wheat procurement, transportation, and storage.

Read More: Bilawal Bhutto vows to bring judicial reforms

The CM stressed that there will be no compromise on the transparency related to wheat procurement and its quality. He said that it must be ensured that quality wheat reaches the market.

It was decided that a project to increase wheat storage capacity will be included in the annual development programme, and a guarantee will be sought from the federal government that there will be no ban on the inter-provincial transportation of wheat.