January 20, 2008	Sunday	Muharram 10, 1429

DADU, Jan 19: The deputy director food of Hyderabad region of the Food Department, Lal Khan Jatoi, claimed on Saturday that shortage of flour had been brought under control and there was now no shortage of the staple food in many parts of the region.

He said during a briefing to journalists at the district food controller’s office that 35,000 metric tons of imported wheat out of 110,000 metric tons had been supplied to flour mills and chakkis in Dadu, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin and other districts of the region and the rest of imported wheat was due shortly afterwards.

He said that flour distribution camps had been set up in Dadu, Johi, Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Sehwan, Jamshoro and Kotri with the help of district administrations of Jamshoro and Dadu.

Mr Jatoi said that ex-mill rate of flour had been fixed at Rs16 per kilogramme while that of chakki flour had been fixed at Rs16.50 per kg.

The department had increased 35 per cent quota of mills and chakkis to 16,140 bags of wheat during current fortnight to boost supply of flour in the market, he said.

To a question, he said that 10,940 wheat bags had been supplied to mills and 10,290 to chakkis over the past three days against an entitlement of 29,010 and 25,440 bags, respectively.

He said that the owners of mills and chakkis were selling flour to retailers and people at the government fixed rate under the supervision of Rangers.

Complaint centres had been established at regional, district and taluka level to receive complaints about unavailability of flour and its sale at higher rate, he said.

The official later held a meeting with the office-bearers of Flour Mill and Atta Chakki Owners Association of Dadu and assured them that increased wheat quota would be provided to them on a regular basis.

He warned that if any mill owner was found involved in black-marketing he would be taken to task. The controller, meanwhile, suspended Dadu Food Inspector Mohammad Ali Shahani over public complaints and appointed assistant director food of Hyderabad Saleemullah Siddiqui as inquiry officer to look into the complainst.

ELECTROCUTED: Ten-year-old Muzammil Mallah, son of Mohammad Juman Mallah, was electrocuted when he touched a electrified electric pole in Daro Road area on Saturday.