LAHORE: The Punjab Prisons Department has sought an urgent intervention of district administrations across the province to avert a potential wheat shortage in prisons after jail authorities reported serious difficulties in procuring the commodity from the open market owing to its limited availability and escalating prices.
In an official communication issued by the Inspector General of Prisons (IGP), Punjab, all superintendents of prisons have been directed to immediately coordinate with their respective deputy commissioners for assistance in arranging supplies of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) wheat, ensuring that food requirements of inmates continue to be met without interruption.
The directive comes amid concerns that wheat stocks in a number of prisons are likely to be depleted before June 30, while fresh allocations from the Food, Supplies and Consumer Protection Department (FS&CPD), formerly the Punjab Food Department, have yet to reach the correctional facilities.
According to the correspondence, the Prisons Department had earlier through a letter issued on May 13 authorised jail superintendents to procure wheat from the open market as a stopgap arrangement wherever existing stocks were expected to run out before the end of the current supply cycle. The procurement was to be undertaken within the financial powers delegated to prison administrations and in strict compliance with the Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Rules, 2014, as amended from time to time, and the applicable procurement regulations.
However, responses received from prison superintendents across Punjab revealed that the arrangement had encountered significant obstacles. Most jail administrations informed the Inspectorate that wheat was either not readily available in local markets or could only be obtained at substantially increased prices, making procurement difficult despite the emergency authorisation.
The Prisons Department observed that the situation posed a risk to the uninterrupted supply of a staple food item for inmates and therefore required immediate administrative intervention at the district level. Jail authorities have consequently been instructed to seek the assistance of deputy commissioners in identifying available sources of wheat, facilitating procurement processes and removing any local bottlenecks that could hinder timely purchases.
“The matter may be treated as most urgent and important,” the communication emphasised, underlining the seriousness with which the department is viewing the issue.
Simultaneously, the Inspectorate of Prisons has approached the Punjab Home Department, requesting it to issue province wide directions to all commissioners and deputy commissioners to provide full support to prison administrations. The department argued that district administrations, being the executive arm of the provincial government at the local level, were best placed to facilitate access to wheat stocks and coordinate with relevant agencies and market stakeholders.
Copies of the communication have also been sent directly to all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners in Punjab. The district administrations have been urged to intervene immediately and extend every possible assistance to prisons facing imminent depletion of wheat reserves. A list of jails whose stocks are expected to be exhausted before June 30 has been shared with the relevant authorities for reference and prompt action.
Officials said wheat remains one of the principal components of meals provided to prisoners in Punjab’s correctional facilities, making its uninterrupted availability essential for the functioning of the prison system. Any disruption in supply could create operational challenges for jail administrations responsible for feeding thousands of inmates on a daily basis.
The development has also highlighted broader concerns regarding wheat availability and market volatility in the province. While government institutions traditionally rely on allocations from official food stocks, delays in replenishment coupled with difficulties in sourcing wheat from the open market have compelled prison authorities to seek extraordinary administrative support to bridge the gap.
