Punjab Exporting Wheat To Pakistan

The Union government, in principle, has agreed to export wheat to Pakistan. The empowered group of ministers on food has asked the Punjab government to work out a proposal for exporting wheat to Pakistan through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) on the Attari border.

The decision came after the Punjab government sought the commerce ministry's permission to export wheat from its choked warehouses to Pakistan.

"We are facing a wheat glut here with no more space to store grains. We have asked the Union government to allow us to export wheat directly. We are waiting for the Union government's decision," said Punjab food and civil supplies secretary DS Grewal.

Wheat procurement in Punjab has touched an all-time high of 128 lakh tonne forcing the state government to press for exports from Punjab-based central warehouses. "We have a stock of around 165 lakh tonne of wheat. We need to move the grain fast to create storage space," he said.

Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has been demanding that shipments be allowed to Pakistan and other CIS countries through Attari. "If we can allow exports of sugar and cotton, why the Union government can't take a bold step of allowing wheat exports through the land route," he had said in a public meeting.

Source: The Economic Times