04 January 2004	Sunday	11 Ziqa'ad 1424

LAHORE, Jan 3: The Punjab Food Department is releasing 18,000 metric tons of wheat daily to the flour mills for general use and had fixed an additional 70,000 metric tons quota for utilization under the Chief Minister's Sasta Atta Scheme.

Punjab Food Secretary stated this while briefing Chief Secretary Kamran Rasool on wheat releases from the provincial reserves here on Saturday.

He said that 1.55 million tons of wheat stocks were more than sufficient for meeting the requirements till the arrival of the new crop.

The food department had stored 275,000 tons of wheat at open places. No report of damage to the stocks had, however, been received.

He said that wheat was not only being supplied to 131 flour mills but to 'atta chakkis' as well.

The chief secretary said that wheat releases to 'atta chakkis' in the cities should be increased in accordance with the demand.

He also stressed the need for monitoring the quality and weight of flour being supplied by the mills to the consumers.