LAHORE:Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Friday took strict notice of a news item aired on the media regarding unilateral increase in flour price in some districts of the province and directed the officers concerned to take immediate administrative measures for stabilising the flour price.
Chairing a meeting at Chief Minister's Office to review the demand and supply and prices of flour in the province, he directed immediate removal of the Food Department officers involved in irregularities and negligence.
Usman Buzdar said that he would not tolerate the overcharging of flour at any cost. Usman Buzdar said that availability of flour to the people at officially-fixed rates would be ensured.
He directed the officers to set up a monitoring cell in the Food Department for strict monitoring of supply and demand of wheat and flour. He said that the mills involved in selling flour from government wheat in the open market would be sealed.
He directed the officers of the Food Department and district administration to ensure availability of flour at official price.
He directed the food minister to ensure availability of flour in the market by going into the field. He said that the government would not let flour price increase in Punjab. On the strict instructions of the chief minister, Punjab Food Department initiated a crackdown and took action against 376 flour mills and imposed an overall fine of above Rs 90 million besides suspending the licences of 15 flour mills. Action has also been initiated against the Food Department officers for showing negligence in their duties and four such officers have been removed from their posts.
Gujranwala District Food Controller Rohail Butt, Sialkot District Food Controller Nasrullah Khan Nadeem have been suspended while Faisalabad Food Department Deputy Director Kamran Bashir and Vehari District Food Controller Sagheer Ahmed have been removed from their posts.
On the instructions of the CM, 126 sale points have been set up in different districts of the province for ensuring smooth supply of flour to the citizens. Flour was being supplied on the ex-mill rate at 21 sale points in Lahore division through trucks.
Similarly, 55 sale points have been set up in Rawalpindi division where flour is being provided to the people at official rate. Moreover, flour is being provided at nine sale points in Gujranwala division at official rate through trucks, at 17 sale points in Bahawalpur division and at 24 sale points in Sialkot district where flour is being provided at official rate to the consumers.