October 13, 2006	Friday	Ramazan 19, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ATTOCK, Oct 12: Almost 80 per cent of the total wheat stock in Attock district is either lost or gets contaminated due to lack of storage facility, Dawn has learnt.

As per statistics of district food department, one million bags of wheat were stored every year at the various godowns of the food department. Out of which, only 223,000 bags could be stored in the godowns properly while the rest 777,000 bags were kept in the open because of insufficient storage capacity.

Although the department takes measures to protect wheat from weather effects by covering it with tarpaulin and plastics sheets, monsoon rains do harm the quality of wheat and render it unfit for consumption, sources said.

The upper and bottom portion of wheat stock gets wet, and develops fungus, and as a result, bags of wheat flour is spoilt and contaminated, the sources said.

Such a situation was also experienced in the recent monsoon season when heavy wheat stock, spread on the ground in open, got infected, the sources maintained.

The wheat stock was supplied to flour mills by the food department to cover its negligence and save its skin, the sources said.

The flour mills owners were bound to accept the poor quality wheat with the stock of fine quality wheat bags as they could not afford tussle with the food department, sources added.

That was why a number of complaints about stomach diseases, are being reported form various parts of the district.

A resident of Darulsalm colony, Attock city, said that he had purchased a 20 kg wheat bag last week from the local grocery shop but he had to return it because it gave bad smell and its colour was blackish.

Like him, many other customers had also returned flour bags to the store due to the same reason, he said.

Similarly, some other residents also complained about the supply of poor quality wheat flour in the local markets. They alleged that all of it was happening under the nose of food department and other official concerned of the district administration but every one has adopted mysterious silence over the issue due to obvious reasons.

On the condition of anonymity a local mills owner said that they could not file any complaint against the food department and district administration because they could victimise them by using different tactics. However, “we verbally inform the department about inferior quality of wheat, but the department pay no heed to our complaints”, he said.

District food controller, Attock, Sheikh Aman Ullah, admitted that 80 per cent of wheat stock was being stored in open air temporary godowns due to lack of storage capacity.

However he denied that weather conditions or other effects affected wheat stock as wheat was stored on proper bricks platform after fumigation and cover of tents and plastics sheet. Some wheat bags got damaged during loading and unloading but wheat was refilled in another wheat bags without any weight loss, he claimed.

When asked that it was refilled without separating sand, clay and other contaminations, he said it was not a matter of concern or worry as wheat stock was properly washed at the floor mills before grinding so there was no need of extra cleaning.

He said there was no complaint of unhygienic wheat flour as samples of wheat and flour were taken by the department on monthly basis for laboratory test.

Replying to another question regarding construction of new wheat godowns, he said that department lacked funds.