BAHAWALPUR: In its on-going drive to check wheat smuggling, the food department seized 657 loaded trucks and tractor-trolleys and booked 39 people during last week in the Bahawalpur division.

According to deputy director(food)Muhammad Adnan Badar, the vehicles were seized at 28 food department check-posts established at the borders of the division.

He said food staff and police personnel had been deployed at these posts to check the inter-district movement of wheat which had been banned by the government.He said the seized vehicles carried 381,652 bags of wheat (100kg each) which were stored at the food department`s godowns.

Regarding the procurement of food under the Punjab government`s policy, the deputy director claimed that the Bahawalpur division had so far procured 902,279 metric tons against the official target of 780,000 metric tons.

The deputy director further said 140 flour mills in the division were being supplied wheat quota of 1924 metric ton at the subsidized rate of Rs 1765 per 40kg to ensure the supply of subsidized flour in the open market.