HANDOUT

  Date:  29.09.2010                            

chief minister sindh syed qaim ali shah presides meeting regarding subsidy/relief package & support price of wheat.

 

Karachi: September 29:  Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah today presided a meeting regarding subsidy/relief package of wheat at Chief Minister House. The meeting was attended by Sindh Agriculture Minister Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, Sindh Food Minister Mir Nadir Ali Magsi, Chief Secretary Sindh Mr. Ghulam Ali Pasha, Secretary Finance Sindh Mr. Muhammad Siddique Memon, Secretary to C.M Sindh Mr. Abdul Kabeer Kazi, Secretary Agriculture Sindh Agha Jan Akhtar, Secretary Food Sindh Mr. Naveed Kamran Baloch and others. 

             Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that due to recent heavy floods, the economy of province has totally been damaged and standing crops were fully washed out. He stressed upon the government machinery to not only work hard for rehabilitating the affected people of Sindh but we have also to revive the economy of province particularly improve the agriculture sector so as to achieve maximum crops in areas damaged by floods. 

            Syed Qaim Ali Shah added that the government has to involve strategy so as assist the flood affected people and ration is provided to those affected people for initially at least for one month. Chief Minister Sindh said that priorities are to be fixed for rehabilitation of flood affected people and for that purpose all departments have to work unitedly. Chief Minister Sindh added that President Mr. Asif Ali Zardari has directed to prepare a comprehensive plan for the purpose as such, the Chief Minister Sindh directed to Chief Secretary Sindh to call joint meeting of concerned departments and finalize the details of all over damages, losses of agriculture, irrigation, roads, bridges and total infrastructure etc. He also directed him to have details of allocations, expenditure, excess & surrender figures from all DCO’s early, as the funds allocated/spent are to be audited. He said that a comprehensive briefing will be held in this connection soon.

 

 

Earlier, Sindh Food Secretary, Mr. Naveed Kamran Baloch in his presentation on Wheat issues, informed that Sindh Food deputant supplied 30,3000 bags of atta with 10 kgs each to ten (10) districts for IDP’s which were badly affected by Floods. He added that 28,3050 bags of atta  were lifted. He said that during Holy months of Ramazan, 22082 Tons of wheat was released under Ramadan package white 22,082,100 bags of 10 kgs atta were issued in Ramadan package throughout Sindh province, for which there was total subsidy of Rs 2319.871 million.

           

            Secretary Food Sindh informed that due to floods and rains, 3000 tons of wheat stock was damaged in Jacobabad district, 4000 tons of wheat stocks damaged in Dadu district white 2000 bags in Jamshoro district at Sehwan.

 

            Regarding position of stocks of wheat, he informed that there are 193134 tons of wheat for crop 2009 abd  1296848 tons of wheat for crop- 2010 (Total= 1489983 tons) available in stocks

 

            Secretary Agriculture Sindh Agha Jan Akhter in his report informed that Federal Government have fixed target of 3.5 millions acres throughout Pakistan where free seed and fertilizer will be provided. He added that necessary awareness drive is to be launched for the promotion of Crops and Government has fixed rate of Rs: 6100 per acre for sun flower cultivation.

 

            The meeting was informed that for the support of affected families, the World Food Programme has approved food baskets for 3 lac families which will be supported to them for three months. It was informed that more than 7.3 million people are affected due to floods, and supply of food baskets programme is being initiated in the Sindh province.

 

 

HANDOUT NO…(ABM)