October 17, 2002	Thursday	Sha'aban 10, 1423

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DADU, Oct 16: As many as 80 flour mills and 150 smaller units remained closed in Dadu district on Wednesday raising the local price of wheat-flour by Rs40 per maund.

The crisis occurred after the district food department authorities directed the flour mills owners to lift their wheat quotas from the Bolhari warehouse.

The owners of the flour mills have called for providing fresh wheat from the nearest warehouses.

All flour mills were closed down in Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Radhan, Sita, Piaro Goth, Phulji station, Dadu, Johi, Sehwan Sharif, Bhan Saeedabad, Bubak and other parts of the district.

Following the closure of the floor mills, local businessmen have increased the price of flour by Rs40 per maund.

There is a likelihood that the crisis may affect others parts of the district as well.

Meanwhile, the district general secretary of the Flour Mills Association, Sikandar Hussain Lakhair, said that the district food department had not provided wheat to any flour mill in the district since Aug 2002.

He said that the food department officials were forcing the flour mills’ owners to receive their wheat quotas from the Bolhari warehouse.

He termed the condition of the wheat lying in that warehouse the worst.

Fresh wheat stock, purchased by the district food department, was lying in warehouses in and around Dadu as well as many other nearby centres, he said.

He said that the strike would continue if the food department did not provide fresh wheat to the flour mills from the nearby warehouses.

SHOW CAUSE NOTICES: Show cause notices were issued to three health department officials for neglecting their duties on Wednesday.

The notices were issued after the EDO, Health, Dr Khadim Hussain Lakhair, visited the government dispensary in Jatt Shahdad in Khairpur Nathan Shah Taluka.

The EDO had found the dispensary closed.

KILLED: A 75-year-old woman, Wasai, 75, was shot dead by four unidentified armed men near Kakar town the other day.

A case has been registered by Khairpur Nathan Shah police.