Man killed while trying to purchase subsidised flour

KARACHI: A peasant lost his life following a stampede that broke out while he was trying to purchase flour from subsidised sale point in Mirpurkhas on Saturday. Several others were injured in districts Badin and Shaheed Benazirabad while trying to purchase subsidised flour, leading to protests.

Harsingh alias Gulahi Bheel 37, father of seven, including six daughters, was among the several hundred people who gathered to get a 10 kg-flour bag at the subsided rate of Rs65 when he was crushed to death during a stampede in Mirpurkhas.

A large number of people from the Bheel community as well as workers of different political parties took his body and staged a demonstration outside the Mirpurkhas Press Club to register their protest. They also demanded the registration of an FIR against deputy commissioner, Mirpurkhas, for failure to ensure flour availability to the flood victims and other needy.

Talking to media persons, they alleged that the Sindh government had failed to even provide flour to millions of those displaced by floods in 23 districts of the province. They termed it unfortunate that people were losing lives in desperate effort to get flour bags at subsided rates. They claimed that they were forced to purchase flour at the rate of Rs 150-170 per kg and rejected the government’s claim of the commodity being available at Rs65.

Similarly in Tando Bago, district Badin, two women among several others were injured after the police baton-charged the crowd gathered to buy flour at subsided rates.

The enraged people staged a demonstration outside the local police station to register their protest. They said that they were thrashed by policemen while purchasing flour from a truck sent to the district administration.

Also in Sakrand, Shaheed Benazirabad, three women were injured during a stampede while purchasing subsidised flour from a makeshift shop. Afterwards, people protested on the roads in various districts against the steep rise in the prices of flour and other essential commodities.