Wheat trading: Millers asked to help govt check middleman’s role

LAHORE : Punjab has bound flour mill owners to be part of the government’s campaign against excessive wheat prices, according to a notification issued the other day.

District Food Controllers of various districts have asked flour mill owners to provide credentials of middlemen selling wheat in excess of notified grain prices. The new move of the provincial government has been aimed at directly involving flour millers to help comprehend middlemen charging excessive wheat price in the province. If a mills owner could not report the culprit’s detail to the office concerned, action would be initiated against failing administration of mill also, warned the notification. As per notification, Punjab Food Department notified wheat price on July 6, 2024, which is required to be follow in letter and spirit. If a middlemen or trader sell wheat higher than the notified price for each district, flour mill owners are bound to convey name, address, CNIC and cell numbers to respective DFC offices so strict action could be taken against the accused.

Not only this, flour mill owners have been warned to be held liable in case they fail to report selling of wheat by traders at exorbitant rates. The move has infuriated flour millers as they termed it a strange way to control the free market mechanism for the grain trading.

I am not the price control agent of the government, said a mill owner on the condition of anonymity. My duty is to grind wheat and sell flour and other products in the market. I already report so many data to various departments on voluntarily basis. It is certainly not a wise approach to deal with price hike of food items, he opined and adding such tactic would not be deemed as an appropriate move either with regards to entailing administration of flour mills in the ongoing drive.

As far as government’s intention of controlling flour prices in the province, flour mills owners fully adhere to the rules and regulations. However, to say the least, it is funny to take such drastic step.

Meanwhile, Food Minister Bilal Yasin vowed to take steps for providing flour to masses at cheap rates. He claimed that the Punjab government successfully ensured a historical relief to people in ‘flour and roti’ prices in the province. He added that ‘Naan and Roti’ were available across Punjab at notified prices as well. The government’s full attention has been focused on the relief for common man and was successful in reducing the price of Roti by employing a strong strategy.