PASSCO wheat sales operations suspended

In yet another development, the ministry of national food security and research has suspended the wheat sales operations of Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Supplies Corporation (PASSCO) for one weak following over-pricing complaints.
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet in its meeting held on March 15 approved the sale of 450,000 tons of wheat lying with PASSCO at Rs 950 per 40 kg for which the ministry of finance has been providing a subsidy of Rs 6, 045 per ton.
This time PASSCO’s wheat stocks stand at 1.75 million tons, including 450,000 tons from 2009-10 crop and 1.27 million tons from 2010-11 crop. Of this, 250,000 tons would be released to deficit provinces and world food programme while 500,000 tons will be kept as federal strategic reserve.
Federal Minister for Ministry of National Food Security and Research Mir Israr Ullah Zehri took serious notice of over-pricing by PASSCO in wheat sales and suspended the wheat sales operations for at least one weak.
The federal minister has also directed the federal secretary of his ministry to form an inquiry committee and conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit its findings within a week.
The ECC had earlier directed PASSCO to sell 200,000 tons of wheat at Rs 25, 000 per ton plus cost of packing material for export purposes.
The PASSCO had started its wheat sales operations to floor mills this week which was suspended just after one weak after the ministry received complaints of over-pricing by PASSCO in wheat sales.
Shifting of girls school to new building demanded : Girls students and their parents demanded to shift the solitary government high school of Kamal Abad from dilapidated building to a new building.
This is only girls’ high school in government sector for millions of population in the areas of Bakkar Mandi, Dhok Syedan, Jhawran and Ahmad Abad and thousands of girls are studying in this school.
The new building of the school has been constructed but the girls are forced to sit in dilapidated rented building of the school. Holiday is declared in the school if rain falls as roofs of all the rooms start seeping and the students can not sit therein.
The new building has been built at the cost of millions of rupees and has been handed over to education department but school is not being shifted for the reasons best known to the concerned authorities.
The old building can collapse at any time and can cause loss to lives therefore, the school be shifted to new building, demanded the residents of the area.
notification for Teachers’ promotion till 31st: Notification regarding promotion of teachers will be issued till March 31.
The district education officer said that the notification about the promotion of BST teachers will be issued till March 31. These promotions are related to BPS-12 and BPS-14.
IBA calls for action against bogus lawyers: The Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) has adopted resolution for scrutiny and checking of lawyers degrees by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Resolution was presented by IBA General Secretary Chaudhry Ayub and PTI Lawyers wing president Farrukh Dall. The resolution called for action against the lawyers holding fake degrees. The resolution was unanimously adopted in the general body meeting of the IBA.
7 more police stations likely in City : A decision has been taken for reconstruction of seven police stations of district Rawalpindi in the light of directives from Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif.
This move is aimed at providing better environment and relief to the citizens in police stations. These police stations include 6 from rural areas and one from urban area.
The Punjab government intends to give the status of model police stations to 100 stations across the province and in this context 13 police stations had been selected from Rawalpindi region and eight from district Rawalpindi.
Not only the building infrastructure will be improved in model police stations but new furniture, tracking system, computer fax and internet system will also be provided to them. Additional vehicles will delivered to these stations besides building separate waiting rooms for male and females.
Bridge over airport road demanded: Residents of Chaklala demanded for immediate construction of overhead bridge over the airport main road saying lack of this facility has become major problem for their school-going children and elderly persons.
Union Council 78, Chaklala, is located alongside the airport main road and they face difficulties to cross the road daily due to frequent VIP movement on this road, said former general councilor.
Elderly persons can not go to other side of the road due to rush of speedy traffic on the road. We have to hire a taxi to take our old parents to other side of the road in order to meet our relatives”, said Ghulam Ali, a schoolteacher.
“Our school is located on other side of the road but we have to wait for hours to cross the road as over-speeding wagons and cars made this road impassable for us, said a group of girls students.
“We have to gulp poisonous smoke of vehicles while waiting on the road side. Most of us are suffering from respiratory disease, said a lady teacher.