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Bumper wheat crop expected

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Bumper crop of wheat is expected this year in the current Rabi season and Pakistan may not need to import wheat to meet its domestic requirements.

This was informed at the meeting of the Punjab Cabinet presided over by Punjab Governor Lt Gen Mohammad Safdar (Retd) here on Saturday.

The cabinet gave its formal approval for increase in the price of Atta to the tune of Rs 1 per 20 Kg bag as agreed between the flour mills association and the Punjab Food Department.

Dr Atiya Inayatullah, member of the National Security Council (NSC) along with Moin Afzal, Secretary General Ministry of Finance briefed the cabinet on the Poverty Alleviation Programme, which includes Food Support Programme as part of the package.

The secretary general finance identified the factors responsible for poverty as well as the areas in which inputs from the provincial governments were required.

He further explained the objectives of the programme and outlined its broad parameters.

The governor and the members of the Punjab Cabinet, while expressing their views, gave a number of suggestions to help facilitate the implementation of the programme. It was unanimously felt that the execution of the programme should be the responsibility of the provincial governments, while the monitoring of the federal government.

Dr Atiya Inayatullah, in her briefing, apprised the meeting about the objectives of the Food Support Programme (FSP) and the methodology for the implementation of this programme. The cabinet was also informed that the FSP would be funded by the federal government, besides the allocation made for the Poverty Alleviation Programme.

The governor appreciated the presentation and acknowledged that it was very helpful in understanding the objectives as well as the strategy for the implementation of the programme as being envisaged by the federal government. The briefing, he mentioned, was useful in developing a cohesive approach.

In the second session of the Cabinet meeting, the Minister for Information and Culture, Shafqat Mehmood gave a presentation on the performance of the Task Force on Social Empowerment constituted by the governor. He apprised the cabinet about the salient features of the reports of various sub-committees and briefly touched upon their recommendations.

He informed the cabinet, that the final comprehensive report of the task force would be submitted to the governor by the end of this month.