July 19, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 15, 1429

ATTOCK, July 18: The district administration has chalked out a plan to ensure smooth supply of wheat flour (atta) on controlled rates in the six tehsils falling in its jurisdiction.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zafar told Dawn on Friday that the measures were finalised in a meeting with flour mill owners, price magistrates and other relevant officials.

The meeting decided that flour millers would provide the required stocks of atta to local markets and ensure a steady supply of the commodity. “The mills have agreed to supply 23 truckloads of atta in the markets of Attock district on daily basis,” Mr Zafar said.

According to him, Attock tehsil will receive 3,000kg atta; Hazro and Hassanabdal 2,000kg each; and Fatehjang, Pindigheb and Jand 1,500kg each.

The wheat flour will be sold directly to the consumers by the flour mill employees under the supervision of the local administration’s staff. The official rate of 20kg bag of atta has been fixed at Rs375, he said.

Meanwhile, talking about gunfights between atta smugglers and law enforcers at different check posts, including Mullah Mansoor on the G.T. Road, the DCO said special steps were being taken to handle such incidents.

He said the Indus River check post on Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway had been relocated to the Haro Bridge, around 40km from the previous site, so that in case of any pursuit, the law enforcers had sufficient time to intercept the smugglers before they entered into NWFP.