December 13, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 2, 1428

HYDERABAD, Dec 12: Provincial Secretary Food Naveed Kamran Baloch has claimed that the government is fully aware of wheat crisis and added that it is the responsibility of the city and district governments to take action against the hoarders and profiteers.

Talking to journalists at the local circuit house here on Wednesday, he said the Sindh government had informed the federal government about impending wheat crisis and that was the reason that federal government had imported wheat which would go a long way in meeting any shortage of wheat.

He said that the food department had already set up stalls throughout Sindh where flour was being sold at the rate of Rs155 per 10 kg bag. He said on the grocery shops, flour was being sold at the rate of Rs16 per kg.

Categorically denying reports that chakkis in Sindh had been closed due to shortage of wheat, Mr Baloch asserted that even today Sindh had a ready stock of 300,000 tons of wheat while 100,000 tons was in the pipeline. He said in Hyderabad there were 193 chakkis and all of them were operational. He said if flour was being sold for more than Rs16 per kg at any shop, the same shops should be identified and the city and district governments as well as police should take legal action against them.

The secretary food pointed out that 70 per cent requirements of wheat were met by the private sector and 30 per cent by the government. He said when wheat shortage was witnessed in the private sectors, the Sindh government immediately informed the federal government as a result of which Sindh province was supplied 26,000 tons of wheat which helped control the crisis.

He said Hyderabad had been provided lions share of wheat and advised the people to identity the hoarders and profiteers.

The Deputy Director of Food Hyderabad, Lal Bux Jatoi, on the occasion said that all the registered chakkis were being supplied full quota of wheat.