All measures being taken to control inflation: Chohan

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Information Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan on Wednesday said that all-out measures were being taken by the Punjab government to control inflation besides providing relief to the people.

In a statement issued here, he said the Punjab government had broken the record of last ten years by procuring 4.1 million metric ton wheat, adding that the Punjab government started releasing wheat at a rate of 1400 per 40 kg to the flour mills.

He said that for the last three months the Punjab government was releasing 17,000 metric ton wheat to the flour mills on daily basis.

He further disclosed it had been decided to gradually increase this quantity to 21,000 metric ton per day, adding that Punjab government had so far released more than 1.25 million metric ton wheat to the flour mills.

Chohan said it was also decided to constitute Inspection Committees to check the prices and availability of flour and other essential commodities in the province.

Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan further disclosed that unlike Punjab, Sindh government failed to achieve the wheat procurement target of 1.4 million metric ton this year and acquired 1.25 million metric ton only.

He said that Sindh government last year hatched conspiracy against the federal government and created artificial crisis of wheat shortage by not procuring wheat, adding that Sindh government received 200,000 metric ton wheat from the quota of 500,000 metric ton allotted by PASSCO in January but had not yet released a single grain to the flour mills.

Fayyaz-ul-Hassan said that corruption and financial mismanagement of Pakistan Democratic Movement 'Mix Achar Party' had brought the country to the verge of disaster.