January 06, 2008	Sunday	Zilhaj 26, 1428

SANGHAR, Jan 5: The president of Sanghar District Bar Association Anwar Mahmood Nizamani filed a petition against flour millers in the district and sessions court on Saturday accusing them of creating artificial shortage and overcharging.

The petitioner cited owners of Sanghar Flour Mills, Jhol Flour mills, A. Rehman, Iqbal Flour and Atta Chakkis Association, secretary of food and district food controller as respondents and dismissed claims about shortage of wheat in government godowns.

He said that the food department was purchasing wheat from farmers at the rate of Rs400 to Rs425 per 40 kg and providing full quota to all the flour mills and chakkis.

He accused flour mills of black-marketing the wheat they received from the government and prayed the court to ensure that every citizen got the flour at government fixed price rate is a basic human right of every citizen. The court admitted the petition and fixed it for hearting on Jan 12.

Mr Nizamani feared that the situation might provoke people to revolt because they were hungry.

The government godowns had more than 200,000 bags of wheat in their stores and the department is supplying 800 bags per week to about seven flour mills and 13 bags per chakki to more than 100 chakkis. People complained that almost all the flour millers were selling wheat in the open market at Rs1,950 to Rs2,000 per 100 kg bag after buying it for Rs1,215 per bag. On Saturday, flour was being sold at Rs30 to Rs35 per kg in the district while the official rate was Rs16 per kg.