12 January 2004	Monday	19 Ziqa'ad 1424

HYDERABAD, Jan 11: The meeting of roller flour mill owners, Chakki owners, wholesale dealers and retailers here on Sunday fixed the price of wheat flour at Rs12 per kilogramme.

The meeting, with Sindh food secretary Mir Mohammad Parhiar in the chair, decided that the Chakki owners would sell wheat flour at the rate of Rs11.5 per kg and the shopkeepers at the rate of Rs12 per kg.

It was decided that the roller flour mills would charge Rs11 per kg from the wholesale dealers who would charge Rs11.3 per kg from the retailers and the consumers would pay Rs12 per kg.

Talking to newsmen, Mr Parhiar said a committee had been appointed which comprized the representatives of flour mills, Chakkis, wholesale dealers and retailers to take stock of the market.

He said it was the duty of district government to keep the prices under control. Mr Parhiar said 100,000 ton wheat had been purchased from Passco to meet the shortage out of which 60,000 tons had already been procured.

He said Punjab had agreed to provide 200,000 tons of wheat to Sindh out of which 100,000 tons would be released within one week. He said vigilance committees had also been appointed to check and inspect the wheat stock lying in the government godowns.

The official said the last year the wheat production target for Sindh was fixed at 2.2 million tons but due to the late start of sugarcane crushing season there could be a shortfall of about 10 to 11 per cent.

He was hopeful that wheat production would be more than two million tons. He said the government had fixed the support price of wheat at Rs350 per 40kg.