January 14, 2008	Monday	Muharram 04, 1429

KARACHI, Jan 13: There has been no significant improvement in the availability of various wheat flour varieties in the markets as scarcity of the subsidised flour No.2.5 persisted despite an increase allowed by the government in the wheat quota for flour mills.

Retailers continued to sell the chakki and fine atta at a price much higher than the control rate while a few retailers had the government supplied flour to sell.

However, in-charge of the city government’s price checking campaign Matanat Ali Khan maintained that there was some improvement in the supply position, claiming that many retailers were offering wheat flour at Rs17.50 per kg.

On Saturday, nearly 100 shopkeepers were fined for selling flour at a higher price.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Karachi Wholesalers’ Grocers Association Anis Majeed said that the wholesale market was getting only 25 per cent supplies of the subsidised flour because millers were selling their produce only at their own mills or stalls.