The Food Department has evolved a comprehensive formula to issue 'Bardana' (bags) to wheat growers from Monday. According to a spokesman of the Food Department, the wheat procurement drive will start in Punjab from April 20. In this connection, 50 percent bags will be provided to wheat growers during the first two weeks of the drive.
Thirty percent bags will be provided during the next 15 days while the remaining 20 percent in the third phase (next 15 days), he said and added that the issuance of 100 percent bags would be completed in one and a half months. He said a comprehensive strategy had also been devised to purchase wheat from growers in a fair and transparent manner.
For the purpose, 375 wheat procurement centres have been established throughout the province. These centres will work from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily including Sundays, he added.
He said that Patwaris of the Revenue Department were deputed to issue tokens to growers while complaint centres would also remain activate at all wheat procurement centres to address farmer complaints.
He said supervisory committees were also being established under the directives of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The committees will comprise public representatives, Numberdars and notables of the area, he said and added that the committees would help eliminate the role of middleman in wheat procurement.