Flour shortage and increase in its prices continued to haunt the provincial and city district governments on Saturday while 'chakki' owners remained stubborn to sell flour at Rs 70 per kilogram.
The office-bearers of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) absolved themselves from the responsibility of this shortage by shifting the blame on to the Punjab government's mismanagement.
Moreover, the Naan Bai Association has threatened to increase the prices of a 'roti' from six rupees to ten rupees and a 'naan' from Rs 12 to Rs 15.
While addressing a press conference here, PFMA Central President Asim Raza Ahmad flanked by a large number of flour millers claimed that there was no dearth of wheat in the Punjab province and millers have no connection with the increase in flour prices by chakki owners.
He claimed that the unjustifiable hue and cry is being made quoting flour shortage. He further claimed that the millers sent 13,580 flour bags in the market in one day and 5,551 flour bags were returned to the mills.
Ahmad further said that a reason for flour shortage in KPK, Sindh and Balochistan was the suspension of supply of flour and other wheat products to these provinces. He said the Punjab government has stopped supply of flour to KPK.
He disclosed that 25,700 tons of wheat is being released on daily basis in Punjab while the flour millers were sending 700,000 flour bags in the market throughout the province on daily basis. "The flour millers were supplying flour at Rs 39 per kilograms after buying wheat at Rs 34 per kilogram while the chakki owners were claiming Rs 23 grinding charges per kilograms," he added.
The PFMA leader claimed that there was no flour crisis, but the people sitting in the power corridors in the province are responsible for the mess, as they were safeguarding their own businesses and interests. He said they were responsible for ex-mill rate and they are providing flour at Rs783 per 20 kilograms ex-mill. "The government should also check this factor that why the chakki owners are charging higher grinding rates," he added.
Meanwhile, the City District Government Lahore realizing the gravity of the situation has decided to sell flour at 20 different points of the city through trucks besides selling flour in all model bazaars and Sunday bazaars.
Deputy Commissioner Lahore Danish Afzaal has urged the people to approach these designated spots and model bazaars to buy as much flour as they needed. He claimed that there was no flour shortage in the provincial metropolis.
Flour will be available at Model Bazaar Tepu Chowk Green Town, Model Bazaar Sher Shah Colony Chung, Model Bazaar Wahdat Colony, Model Bazaar Mian Plaza Johar Town, Model Bazaar Sabzazar, Model Bazaar Raiwind, Model Bazaar Thokar Niaz Baig, Model Bazaar Chung, Model Bazaar China Scheme Gujjar Pura, Model Bazaar Harbanspura Ghaziabad, Begum Kot Shahdara Sunday Bazaar, Moon Market Gulshan-e-Ravi Sunday Bazaar and Shadman Sunday Bazaar.
The Deputy Commissioner claimed that 20,000 flour bags were supplied at the 20 designated points in the city out of which 7000 came back. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif in a tweet said that 'aata' crisis and massive price hike is yet another reminder of sheer callousness that is hallmark of the PTI government. "People's lives are being made miserable by each day with the government's apathetic attitude," he added.
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