April 18, 2008	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1429

PESHAWAR, April 17: The consumers on Thursday complained that substandard wheat flour (atta) was being supplied to the local markets.

During a visit to various ‘fair-price shops’ in the city, people said the price of flour was increasing with each passing day and the quality was also declining gradually. It was observed that a 20-kg flour sack was being sold at Rs540 against the fixed price of Rs390.

A shopkeeper at Kohat Road told Dawn that flour had not been supplied to the fair price shops during the past six days. “Only one truck flour were given on Thursday morning while there is demand of at least six trucks on daily basis,” he said, adding that due to shortage of flour, most of the consumers had to return home without the commodity.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao leader and MPA Sikandar Hayat Sherpao has expressed concern over the flour crisis and asked the government to take effective steps for smooth supply of flour to the markets. He said the flour crisis was a very serious issue which had created unrest among the people. BANNU: The government has decided to allow movement of flour and food items to the tribal region only according to the permits issued by the concerned political authorities.

A meeting, held at the office of southern region’s regional coordination officer (RCO) here on Thursday, decided that the movement of all food items to the tribal region without the permits would not be allowed. The meeting, presided over by RCO Attaullah, was attended by the district coordination officers (DCOs) of Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan and Tank, and the political authorities of North and South Waziristan tribal regions.

It decided that the tribal region would get flour and other food items only according to their quota, while all possible steps would be taken to curb smuggling of these items. The meeting further decided that steps would also be taken to curb hoarding of food items.

The RCO directed the DCOs to work out a strategy so that food items were available to the people of the region at reasonably prices.

MIRAMSHAH: Hundreds of bags of flour are being smuggled unabated to Afghanistan through border areas from here while the political administration has miserably failed to keep check on the situation.

According to residents, scores of vehicles, laden with flour, were crossing the boarder on daily basis. Food items were being smuggled to Afghanistan border cities including Khust, Gardez, Ghazni, Kabul, Balakh, Mazar Sharif, Kanduz, and Punjsher, they added.