Minister says surplus wheat stocks available for draught hit Tharparkar
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan Tuesday said that surplus wheat stock were available with the government that could be released to cater to the food requirements of the draught hit Tharparkar district.
“We have surplus stock of wheat and are ready to release that to provide relief to the affected people,” Bosan said Tuesday. He was of the view that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment the agriculture sector was a provincial subject and although the provincial government was responsible for catering to the needs of its population, however, the federal government would do its best to serve the people of the affected district.
The federal minister said that officials of the ministry visited the affected area and a report is being prepared to assess the situation and release relief packages accordingly.
In addition, the minister said that recently a team of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) led by its Chairman Dr Iftikhar Ahmed also visited the area. He said that prime minister also visited the area, which shows the seriousness of the government in resolving the issues of the people on immediate basis.
Talking about the cause of the famine in the Thar area of the Sindh province, the federal minister said that the draught cropped up due to lack of rainfall in the region.
“Whenever there is shortage of rain, situations like this happen,” the federal minister remarked.
He assured that the federal government would provide all out support to the provincial government to overcome the crisis and ensure food for all in the area. It is pertinent to mention here that the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday visited Mithi, the capital of the drought-hit Tharparkar District, to personally monitor the relief operation, and announced Rs 1 billion package for the affected people.
