Barely half of procur­ement centre­s functi­onal in Khairp­ur, says grower­HYDERABAD: With wheat farmers in upper Sindh protesting the delay in wheat procurement by the Sindh government, Sindh Food Minister Hari Ram Kishori Lal claimed that half of the 1.4 million tonne-procurement target has been achieved. The provincial government did not purchase wheat in 2019. Row over wheat purchase persistsAccording to Lal, the food department has bought 65 per cent of the target purchase from Mirpurkhas division. “Barely half of the designated wheat procurement centres have become functional in Khairpur and that too when the harvest season is nearly ending,” complained Zubair Ahmed Phulpoto, a local wheat farmer, who led a protest in Khairpur. Slow wheat procurement worries CentreNAB ReportCommenting on the NAB’s inquiry report, the food minister said the alleged corruption was reported before he took reins of the ministry.

Source: The Express Tribune May 04, 2020 04:18 UTC