PESHAWAR: In response to a ruling by the Peshawar High Court and instructions from the Cabinet Oversight Committee, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Department raised the daily wheat release quota from 3,000 to 4,000 metric tonnes.
The National Reserve Center (NRC) warehouses in Azakhel will provide the extra 1,000 metric tonnes of functioning flour mills in order to ensure prompt utilisation of stockpiled wheat and prevent additional losses.
The Food Department has announced that the additional quota would be allocated to each district in accordance with the 43.84 million people in the province.
The Director of Food has issued necessary instructions to all district food controllers and rationing controllers to implement the revised allocation.
Under the revised arrangement, Peshawar will receive an additional 116 metric tonnes daily, followed by Mardan with 67 tonnes, Swabi with 46 tonnes, Charsadda with 45 tonnes, Nowshera with 43 tonnes and Lower Dir with 40 tonnes.
Other allocations include 39 tonnes for Lower Swat, 35 tonnes for Abbottabad, 44 tonnes for Mansehra, 45 tonnes for Dera Ismail Khan, 33 tonnes for Bannu, 32 tonnes for Bajaur and 30 tonnes for Kohat. The remaining quota has been distributed among other districts according to their respective allocations.
The department decided to release the additional wheat after a report by the Storage and Enforcement Officer at NRC Azakhel highlighted damage to stored stocks caused by recent flash flooding.
According to the report, floodwater entered the warehouses and affected the lower layers of wheat bags. Six of the centre’s 11 warehouses sustained damage, while the remaining five stayed safe.
The report recommended the immediate release of stocks to prevent further damage, particularly in view of forecast rainfall.
To ensure transparency, the Director of Food has directed district food controllers and rationing controllers to submit verified lists of operational flour mills to the release committee before lifting wheat stocks. The move aims to maintain a proper record of wheat release and distribution.
The notification also makes it mandatory to update all records relating to wheat allocations, transportation and release on the ICT application without delay.
Government flour produced from the additional wheat will be distributed to consumers through authorised dealers at officially announced pricing, according to relevant officials.
To ensure that the public benefits from the increased supply of wheat, the department has instructed all concerned officials to closely monitor district allocations, confirm that flour mills are functioning, and guarantee the sale of government flour at set prices.