Food dept tightens screw on ‘flour mafia’

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Department finally started tightening screw on mafia involved in flour black-marketing with slew of measures taken on Wednesday.

The newly-appointed Secretary Food, Punjab, Muhammad Zaman Watto, who enjoyed good reputation of being an honest civil servant, assumed office and ordered transfer posting of staff allegedly involved in misappropriation of highly subsidised wheat for obliging flour mill owners. He categorically said that there is no place for corrupt officials in the department, stating that there is a zero-tolerance policy against corrupt practices.

Owing to challenges relating to wheat supply chain, he observed, “I am aware of the difficulties of people due to the flour price hike and short supply.” He also sought record of flour mills including issuance of wheat, dispatching of flour and electricity bills to ascertain gaps in wheat flour supply chain. While launching audit of flour mills, he said that the grinding of each and every flour mills receiving the quota would be reconciled with the electricity bills for the last three months.

Apart from this, he also established special teams to prevent the smuggling of subsidised wheat within the province and to other areas of the country. Vowing to take strict action against the culprits, he said he would take action by checking record of flour mills and illegal transportation of wheat.

Secretary Food also decided to upload data of wheat issuance and grinding of flour by the flour mills on the official website of the department. I am firm believer of transparency and I would ensure access to every data in this regard, he observed. For this purpose, he said that, details of flour mills and quantity of wheat quota has been ordered to be posted on the website so that the public can access all the information with a view to prevent corruption and catch ghost flour mills.

Punjab Food Department has swung into action at a time when lingering wheat shortage and its price hike have ballooned to a full-blown disaster for many, and it is feared that there is no light at the end of the tunnel either. The price of wheat in the open market has gone through the roof, hovering around highest levels of Rs4,200/40kg. Prevalent wheat prices are double than what it was in the country during the same days last year. Owing to spiraling wheat prices, the rates of wheat flour, bread, tandoori roti and naan have been soaring, keeping this staple food out of reach of many.

To bridge gap in domestic supply of wheat, Pakistan initially planned to import three million tonnes of wheat in 2022-23, which is said to be on the lower side given the shortfall in national production, impact of devastating floods and precarious domestic grain market with in-built flaws and loose regulations at provincial level as well as at borders. The state-owned enterprise has made arrangements for import of around 2.6 million tonnes so far. It would certainly not be an exaggeration that Punjab Food Department has been the epicenter of the current food crisis in the country. The officials of the provincial food department have been accused of lavishly releasing wheat to mills without any accountability.

It is alleged that most of these grains are not grinding and instead are being sold in the highly lucrative open market. It is claimed that Food Department high ups and flour millers are hand in glove in this daring illegitimate food business being run without any regulation. Hence, the flour mills are making a buck out of every grain by depriving masses their staple food.a