STAFF REPORTER
PESHAWAR : The Governor’s Inspection Team has recommended the suspension of the Secretary of Food, the Director of Food and the in-charge of the Azakhel wheat warehouse over the supply of substandard, flood-damaged wheat to flour mills. The team has also recommended filing criminal cases against the officials responsible through the Anti-Corruption Establishment and ordered an immediate halt to the supply of the potentially hazardous wheat to flour mills.
The findings were presented at a meeting chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, where the chairman of the Governor’s Inspection Team submitted an inquiry report into the supply of substandard wheat from the Azakhel warehouse to flour mills.
According to the report, the inspection team visited the 150-kanal warehouse complex and found that six warehouses across two blocks had been affected by floodwater.
Samples of the flood-damaged wheat were sent to the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) laboratory for testing. The laboratory declared the wheat hazardous to human health and unfit for human consumption, the report stated.
The inquiry found that adequate measures had not been taken to protect the warehouse from flooding. Precautionary steps were also not taken despite a flood warning issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
The report further revealed that the Food Department did not establish an assessment committee after the floods to technically evaluate the quality of the affected wheat.
During the meeting, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi questioned why a protective wall had not been built around the warehouse despite repeated flooding.
Officials briefed the meeting that rainwater and floodwater had entered the premises through gaps in the protective wall, damaging the stored wheat.
The briefing also revealed that the Food Department’s stock records contained no entries relating to the flood-damaged wheat. Moreover, the affected stock had not undergone scientific testing to determine its condition and suitability for consumption.
Based on its findings, the Governor’s Inspection Team recommended the suspension of the Secretary of Food, the Director of Food and the in-charge of the Azakhel warehouse over alleged negligence. It also recommended filing criminal cases against the officials concerned through the Anti-Corruption Establishment.
The meeting directed the authorities to immediately stop supplying the wheat declared unfit for human consumption to flour mills and take action against those responsible in accordance with the law.
The inquiry has raised serious questions about the failure to protect government wheat stocks from flooding, the absence of adequate safety measures, gaps in stock documentation and the failure to conduct timely scientific assessments of the damaged wheat.
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