ISLAMABAD: Taking notice of wheat shortage, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday directed the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) to immediately release 100,000 tonnes wheat to Sindh and 150,000 tonnes to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to ensure stability of wheat and flour prices in the market.
Presiding over a high level meeting to review the prices of eatables and control inflation, the prime minister directed provincial governments to launch crackdown against profiteers and hoarders and keep strict check on prices of daily use items.
He said it is essential to fully activate the Tehsil level market committees in order to end the monopoly of the profiteers and control the prices. He further directed the provincial governments to take strict action against those creating artificial inflation.
PM Imran Khan directed the Economic Coordinating Committee to make immediate suggestions and effective decisions for keeping the price of wheat and flour stable.
He asked the provincial governments to launch mobile applications like ‘Darust Daam’ introduced by the Islamabad administration to apprise the people of the prices of eatables on daily basis.
The prime minister said under the Ehsaas Program distribution of flour bags among the needy and poor people should be initiated soon.
The meeting was briefed on price control of essential commodities including wheat, sugar, cooking oil, onions and tomato and steps taken for eliminating of food stocking.
ETP properties be utilised
Meanwhile, presiding over another meeting, the prime minister directed to remove all legal and administrative hurdles for optimum use of Evacuee Trust Properties for public welfare projects.
He said the profit gained from such properties could be utilised for construction of schools, colleges, hospitals and promotion of religious tourism.
PM Imran Khan also directed that the income collected from Evacuee Trust Properties must be utilized for development of those provinces where such properties exist.
He directed to prepare a databank of all properties of Evacuee Trust Property Board after conducting a detailed survey.
