LHC seeks reply from Punjab govt on petition challenging wheat procurement policy.

LAHORE   -   The Opposition in Punjab Assembly Tuesday rejected the policy statement by Food Minister Bilal Yasin about Punjab government’s wheat procurement policy terming it as vague and anti-farmer.

The Opposition also lodged strong protest both inside and outside the Assembly when the Speaker Mohammad Ahmad Khan did not allow their members to respond to the statement by the food minister.

Earlier, Food Minister Bilal Yasin acknowledged on the Assembly floor that wheat crisis did exist in the province. He held the caretaker government responsible for the current fiasco saying that the previous government allowed import of wheat when sufficient stocks of the commodity were available. He informed the House that 2.3 million metric tons of wheat was imported by the caretakers, and the report of the committee formed on this matter will be presented to the assembly soon. The minister, however, assured the House that despite the critical situation, the government will fully support small farmers. He said that the government was well aware of the issues faced by small farmers and will support them in every way.

After the policy statement, the opposition demanded to hold discussion on it, but the speaker adjourned the session indefinitely, stating that detailed discussions on the issue have already taken place over the past four days.

Frustrated by the denial of discussion, opposition leaders and members staged a protest on Mall Road. They argued that the government has nothing to offer to the farmers. The opposition leaders described the policy presented in the assembly as extremely vague.

Opposition leaders Malik Ahmad Khan Bachar, Moeen ud Din Qureshi, Hafiz Farhat and other opposition members also participated in the peaceful protest on Mall Road for some time before dispersed peacefully. The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday sought a reply from the Punjab government and others on a petition challenging the minimum support price and procurement policy for wheat until May 14.

The division bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Anwaarul Haq Pannun heard

the petition filed by petitioner-counsel Bilal Ahmad. The petitioner-counsel argued before the bench that the minimum support price 2023-2024 and procurement policy 2024 for wheat was in violation of Articles 3, 9, 14 and 24 of the Constitution. He submitted that the minimum support price of wheat for the year 2023-2024 was fixed at Rs 3,900 per 40 kg. He referred to a report of the Agriculture Policy Institute, stating that the estimated overall cultivation cost for wheat in 2024 stood at Rs 114,809, with a total yield of Rs 120,900, based on a projected yield of 31 maunds per acre.

This indicates a profit of Rs 6,091 per acre, translating to Rs 1,015 per month per acre for the six-month wheat harvesting period, he said and added that the amount was significantly below the minimum wage for unskilled laborers, which was Rs 32,000 per month.

He further submitted that the Punjab government had not only raised the prices of bags provided to growers for wheat procurement, but also set a procurement target of 2 million metric tons for wheat in 2024, down from 3.5 million metric tons in 2023.

Consequently, even those farmers who earned Rs 6,000 after six months of hard work are struggling to make ends meet, he added.

The bench, after hearing initial arguments, sought a reply from the Punjab government and other respondents by May 14.