Government doubles subsidised flour price

Rawalpindi: Government has increased 100 per cent prices of subsidised ‘atta’ (green bag) from Rs648 to Rs1,158 for a 10-kilogram bag, here on Monday.

Punjab government has increased subsidised prices of wheat from Rs2,300 to Rs3,900 per 40-kilogram. The Punjab government has sent this notification to revise prices to all food departments in the province including Rawalpindi on Monday. On one side government announced to provide ‘Atta’ free of cost while on the other hand withdrew the facility of subsidised ‘Atta’ and increased the rate by 100 per cent. Hardly 2 per cent people will get ‘Atta’ free of cost, while 20 to 30 per cent needy people were getting subsidised ‘Atta’ bags through trucks.

The District Food Department (DFD) spokesman Muhammad Ali told ‘The News’ that government has increased the prices of subsidised wheat from Rs2,300 to Rs3,900 per 40-kilogram. A 10-kilogram bag ‘Atta’ (Green Bag) will sell at Rs1,158 against Rs648, he said. Government has banned purchasing ‘Atta’ through trucks now, Green Bag “Atta’ will be available from retail shops now, he claimed.

The flour crisis has gripped the whole country with the government locking up the wheat in its coffers as well as its expensive rates amid shortage in the open market. Government has completely flopped to provide ‘Atta’ in cheaper prices to public. The government was only doing paper work and fully trying to dust in the eyes of public, people belonged to all walks of life said. Only 2 per cent people were getting a 10-kilogram ‘Atta’ bag free of cost from Liaquat Park where local administration with the help of District Food Department providing ‘Atta’ free of cost. But, people were paying a big cost in taking of ‘Atta’ bag free of cost.

The needy people of city were running behind subsidised ‘Atta’ bags also visiting government run utility stores but in vain because government has stopped all kinds of subsidy on flour. The poor people as per routine reached in different trucking points to purchase subsidised ‘Atta’ bags but in vain because a 10-kilogram ‘Atta’ bag was selling at Rs1158 against Rs648. Public strongly protested and raised full throated slogans against sitting government and demanded to provide them cheaper priced flour.

Muhammad Zameer Qureshi, a poor man, said that sitting government was playing with the nerves of people. Government is trying to get cheap popularity through wrong decisions. The poor citizens have appealed government to provide relief to public in real terms. It’s not the time of ‘Show of’ because public has already become a rolling stone due to sitting government, the citizens bemoaned.