Govt to monitor flour supply

LAHORE : The Punjab government has decided to firmly monitor the supply of flour from the mills.

This was decided in a meeting held here on Saturday. The meeting was chaired by Provincial Minister for Food Samiullah Chaudhry to review the prices of flour and demand and supply of wheat.

Food Secretary Waqas Ali Mehmood, Food Director Wajid Ali Shah and other officers concerned were also present.

The provincial minister said that unilateral increase in flour prices would not be allowed. The complaints being lodged from various districts against the overcharging of flour and its unavailability will be addressed. He said that honest and hard working officers and officials of Food Department will be encouraged. He directed the officers to firmly observe the availability of flour from the mills. Samiullah Chaudhry said 20kg flour bag was available at subsidized rate Rs790 and 10kg flour bag at Rs395 in different districts of Punjab. The provincial minister said that there was a need to strictly monitor the check posts at the exit points of the province.

supply to KP: In order to ensure uninterrupted transportation of wheat and flour from Punjab to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), important decisions were taken by Punjab Chief Secretary Azam Suleman Khan during his video-link meeting with KP Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz here on Saturday.

The Punjab chief secretary (SC) arranged the meeting just after meeting Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar. Provincial Minister for Food Sami Ullah Chaudhry, Food Department Secretary Waqas Ali Mehmood and the representatives of Flour Mills Association attended the meeting.

The KP CS informed his counterpart in Punjab about the problems being faced at borders during transportation of wheat and flour from Punjab to KP. Azam Suleman Khan assured him that all necessary arrangements would be made to resolve the problems and instructions had been issued to the relevant authorities in this regard. The meeting decided the officers concerned of food departments of both provinces would keep close liaison to get the required results regarding wheat and flour availability.

The Punjab CS assured that as soon as the data about flour mills that send supply to KP was received it would be shared with the relevant authorities to ensure free transportation of wheat and flour at boarders.

The KP CS said that all kind of cooperation would be extended to Punjab regarding cross-boarder movement so that wheat and flour smuggling could be controlled.