02 March 2004	Tuesday	10 Muharram 1425

FAISALABAD, March 1: Food Deputy Director Rana Saeed Ahmed has claimed that there is no flour shortage in Faisalabad, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh districts.

He said that elaborate arrangements had been made to provide flour to the people at fixed prices. He said that some 26 new sale points had been set up in different parts of the district in addition to 800 fair price shops and 200 dealer shops to provide atta at fixed rates.

The 20kg bag of flour, he said, was being supplied at Rs210 in all the three districts. At least 14,000 flour bags of 20kg each would be provided at Rs203 in Friday and Sunday Bazaars.

Meanwhile, complaints of flour shortage have been pouring in from different parts of the defunct Faisalabad division. A number of people complained that flour being sold at the so-called fair price shops, special bazaars and sales points set up by the Food department was substandard and less in weight.

They further alleged that the flour mills owners with the connivance of Food department officials were fleecing the people and marketing five different qualities of flour. A round of various city localities revealed that loose flour was being sold at Rs14 per kg while a 20kg flour bag was available at Rs230 to Rs240.