PESHAWAR: Provincial minister Qalandar Khan Lodhi has asked district officers of the food department to follow the procurement procedure for achieving the wheat purchase target.

Presiding over a meeting on wheat procurement with district officers here on Thursday, he called for ensuring both quantity and quality in the purchase process and said that negligence in this regard would not be tolerated. Secretary food Sahibzada Fazal Amin, director food Anwar Khan and other officers of the department were also present on the occasion.

Mr Lodhi said that there was no shortage of transportation facilities while quota of flour mills had been increased manifolds.

He said that for the first time the provincial government would procure wheat from growers directly.

He said that the department should also set up a precedent for bringing improvement in its performance. He said that all arrangements for procurement of wheat had been completed and purchase and monitoring committees established for each district.