March 16, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1429

DADU, March 15: An official of the food department was suspended on charge of corruption while three others were transferred from different godowns, allegedly on political grounds, by food department on Saturday.

Assistant food controller Bolhari godown, Zulfiqar Mallah, has been suspended allegedly on charge of misappropriation of 11,000 wheat bags worth millions of rupees, while food inspector Johi, Imam Bux Bahoto, food inspector Arazi, Altaf Hussain Shah, and food inspector Khairpur Nathan Shah, Sharfuddin were transferred and asked to report at District Food Controller office.

FLOUR CRISES: Flour mills and chakkis of Dadu and Jamshoro districts remained closed on second consecutive day on Saturday due to shortage of wheat in godowns as 11,000 bags of wheat were shifted to Hyderabad and other towns on the orders of deputy director food of Hyderabad region a day earlier.

The general secretary of Flour Mills Association Dadu, Sikandar Hussain Lakhiar, told reporters that due to wheat shortage, flour price had reached Rs25 per kilogram. He feared that price would further increase if wheat was not supplied to flour mills and chakkis.

The district food controller of Dadu, Rafique Ahmed Shahani, while briefing reporters at his office here on Saturday claimed that 32 food centres had been established in Dadu and Jamshoro districts to purchase fresh wheat.

He claimed that 850,000 wheat bags target of Dadu district will be achieved during the current wheat procurement season.

He said that wheat quota till March 15 had been supplied to chakkis and flour mills and the demand of flour mills association was illegal.

On the other hand, abadgars of Dadu and Jamshoro districts complained that bardana (gunny bag) was not provided to them till Saturday.

NOTICES: The senior civil judge of Sehwan here on Saturday issued notices to five officials of food department and two officials of revenue department for recording their statement in a complaint of damaging the property of a citizen near Sehwan food godown.

On the complaint of Khadim Hussain Solangi, a resident of Bodalo Bahar Mohalla of Sehwan town, the court issued notices to the secretary food department, government of Sindh, director food of Karachi, deputy director food of Hyderabad region, district food controller of Dadu, food inspector of Sehwan, EDO revenue of Jamshoro and district officer of revenue of Jamshoro, to appear in the court on March 22 for recording their statements.