April 04, 2008	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 26, 1429

TAXILA, April 3: Exorbitant prices of wheat flour, coupled with artificial shortage, are prolonging the miseries of consumers, specially those belonging to the salaried class.

Though the authorities have fixed the price of a 20kg flour bag at Rs290 for millers and Rs300 for retailers, people are being charged with inflated rates.

Many suspect that the nexus between the millers and the retailers is either too strong for the administration to break, or the officials are themselves drawing their share in the profiteering.

Despite tall claims by the district government and the food department, the flour crisis is aggravating with every passing day, and in most parts of the city the 20kg flour bags were being sold at at least Rs30 more than the controlled rate.

It has been noted that the government machinery has badly failed to check hoarding by the wholesalers and local flour mills, who are fleecing the poor masses.

According to District Food Controller, Rawalpindi, Mohammad Asif, the ex-mill rate of a 20-kg flour bag is Rs290, but the same is being sold at Rs320 to Rs340 in different areas of the city, especially the cantonment and rural localities.

At the same time, wheat flour is not readily available in the market or at the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) outlets.

Shopkeepers, who have stocked the essential kitchen commodity, are not only selling flour at higher rates but also to “selected customers” only.

Talking to this reporter, a resident Dr Ramzan Abdullah said he had been searching for flour for the last two days, but it was not available either in shops or at USC outlets/CSD. People struggling to make ends meet are seen standing in long queues outside different USC outlets, criticising the government for failing to ensure a steady supply of flour to the market.

Meanwhile, it has also been observed that soon after the government fixed the wheat price at Rs625 per 40kg, the flour mills began rapidly purchasing the grain but their output decreased.

According to sources, the millers are constantly pressing the new government to increase flour prices.