Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah Thursday directed the district administration to check flour prices in the market on a daily basis and conduct raids on mills and godowns for checking possible hoarding.
He was presiding over a meeting regarding hike in flour price in the city.
The meeting was attended by Food Secretary Laeeq Ahmed, Secretary Agriculture, Price Bureau and Supply, Agha Zaheeruddin, Secretary Implementation and Coordination, Riaz Ahmed Siddique, Additional Commissioner 1 Karachi, members of flour mills association and officers of Sindh Food Department.
The Chief Secretary stated that in Karachi, as per the requirement, 200,000 metric tons of wheat is being provided to flour mills and there is no shortage of the commodity.
He added that when the required wheat is being provided to them, why the prices of flour have gone high. Stern action will be taken against hoarders and officers concerned, he warned.
While briefing the meeting, the Secretary Food and members of flour mills association said out of 76 flour mills only 56 are functional in Karachi division, in Hyderabad division 9 mills out of 18, in Larkana division 18 out of 19 flour mills, in Mirpurkhas division 5 out of 9 flour mills, in Shaheed Benazirabad 8 out of 16 mills and in Sukkur division 26 flour mills out of 62 are functional.
The members of Flour Mills Association demanded of the government not to provide wheat to the non-functional flour mills. On this the Chief Secretary stated that those mills which were not functioning for last 13 months will not be given wheat quota and in this regard a policy will be put before the Sindh Cabinet for approval.
Mumtaz Ali Shah further stated that the provincial government has sufficient wheat stock and additional 400,000 metric tons will be given by the Passco to the provincial government.
The meeting was informed that the province had sufficient stock of wheat and flour but vested interests were trying to create artificial shortage. The association also informed the CS about illegal smuggling of wheat from Jacobabad to KPK and even Afghanistan.
The CS said he was optimistic that better wheat supply to mills would stabilize the market and reduce flour price. The CS also directed the deputy commissioner concerned to check flour price on a daily basis and conduct raids on mills and godowns.
On the occasion, a committee comprising one officer from each district administration and Sindh Food Department and two members of flour mills association was set up to check the quality of available wheat at warehouse of Sindh Food Department and submit report within 24 hours.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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