LAHORE        -         Punjab government Friday announced that 21 thousand metric tons of wheat would be given to Balochistan to help meet its food needs. Balochistan had requested the Punjab government to provide 10 thousand metric tons of wheat. The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the provincial cabinet committee on wheat chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Ch Parvez Elahi at his office on Friday. The meeting reviewed the latest situation of wheat stocks as secretary food briefed about wheat reserves and the existing flour prices. The meeting also deliberated on the proposal of supplying wheat to the chaki owners at the government level. The meeting was told that 1541 FIRs had been registered and a fine of 39 million rupees had been imposed on the charges of wheat smuggling. The number of sale points has also been increased from 1059 to supply subsidized flour, secretary food informed the meeting. Addressing the meeting, the chief minister noted that the federal government was responsible for supplying wheat to other provinces including Balochistan, but it had failed to fulfill this important responsibility. “Balochistan has requested the Punjab government to provide 10 thousand metric tons of wheat whereas we have decided to give 21 thousand metric tons of wheat which is more than the requirement”, he said, adding that Punjab would go all out to meet the food needs of other provinces. The CM directed that a zero-tolerance policy would be followed against the wheat mafia. To stop the smuggling of wheat, the additional police force would be deployed at all the exit routes, he said and directed the IG police and ACS (Home) to implement the integrated plan for strict monitoring of the exit routes.