LAHORE: Punjab Senior & Food Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has said that import of wheat will also be allowed this year to help meeting the demand created due to difference in production of Punjab and other provinces.

'Though higher prices of flour at present are because of the best rates received by the farmers from the Government during procurement drive this year but the Government is also paying heed to stabilize flour prices in the province,' said Aleem Khan while presiding over a high level meeting held at the Chief Secretary's Camp Office Friday.

Provincial Ministers Mian Aslam Iqbal and Noman Ahmed Langarial besides Chief Secretary Punjab, Secretary Food and concerned officers also attended the meeting.

Senior Minister hoped that import of wheat would stabilize the prices in the market and create competitive and healthy environment.

On the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan, a new policy was being formulated for the procurement of wheat at the government level so as to reduce the financial burden on the public exchequer. He said the new policy was aimed at providing targeted subsidy and getting rid of heavy bank loans, adding the new recommendations on wheat procurement would be submitted to the Punjab Cabinet for final approval so that the Food Department could be re-established on modern lines in the province.

Under this policy, wheat will be procured at the government level only for a limited stock while flour mills will be allowed to procure wheat themselves through the open market, Abdul Aleem Khan added.

The meeting was presented with two models for procurement of wheat at the government level while recommendations for a new procurement policy were also put forward. The meeting was informed that Punjab currently has 4.3 million metric tons of wheat at the government level and there is no danger of shortage.