Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that interests of wheat growers will be protected and especially the rights of small-scale farmers will be protected at every cost.
Presiding over a high-level meeting at Civil Secretariat here on Wednesday in which wheat procurement policy for the current year was approved, Sardar Usman Buzdar informed the meeting that wheat will be purchased from farmers at the rate of Rs. 1300 per maund.
The meeting decided that receiving of applications for the distribution of gunny bags will be started from April 8 till April 15 and the distribution of gunny bags will commence from April 21.
Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that the provision of fixed wheat rate to the farmers will be ensured and the distribution of gunny bags will be transparent. Similarly, all necessary facilities will be provided to the farmers at wheat procurement centers and complaint cells will be established at provincial, divisional, district and tehsil levels.
Usman Buzdar said that the provincial ministers, advisors and special assistants will also visit wheat procurement centers and he will also personally monitor the wheat procurement campaign.
Secretary Food briefed the meeting about the salient features of wheat procurement policy.
Provincial Ministers Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht, Malik Nauman Ahmad Langhrial, Samiullah Chaudhry, concerned secretaries, head of special monitoring unit and high officials attended the meeting.
Earlier on, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar paid a surprise visit to Mayo Hospital here on Wednesday, suspended Medical Superintendent (MS) and Chief Pharmacist over negligence towards duties.
During the visited, Usman Buzdar met with patients and their attendants in the emergency ward and inspected the medical facilities provided to the patients. He inquired the patients and their attendants about the provision of medical facilities and availability of free medicines in the emergency and expressed his strong indignation over the condition of CNIC for wheelchair facility. He also reprimanded the chief pharmacist over the complaints of some patients and their attendants about obtaining medicines from outside.
The Chief Minister expressed his displeasure over non-presence of signboards for the guidance of patients and their attendants in different wards. He said that he been saddened over the condition of emergency of such a big hospital and the condition of CNIC for providing the wheelchair to the patients is simply uncalled-for. The wheelchairs should be provided without any condition of producing CNICs because these are meant for the patients, he added.
He also inspected the pharmacy of the emergency ward and inspected the provision of free medicines to the patients. He inquired the hospital administration that if patients in the emergency ward have to acquire medicines from the outside then what are you doing here? He made it clear that patients should be provided with all medicines free of cost in the emergency ward and the complaint of non-provision of free medicines is totally unacceptable. He directed to keep the CT scan machines fully functional and added that every patient should be given full attention and qualitative medical care be provided in the emergency ward.
Usman Buzdar also expressed his strong displeasure over non-functionality of patients’ lift. There is a dire need to bring much improvement in the emergency of Mayo Hospital. I have personally monitored the situation and I am not satisfied with the condition of medical facilities provided to the patients. Action will be initiated against those responsible for negligence and laxity, he added. He also inquired the doctors about their problems.