August 26, 2008	Tuesday	Sha'aban 23, 1429

BAHAWALPUR, Aug 25: The district administration on Monday closed 14 flour mills for three days and suspended their wheat permits for violating rules and regulation.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmed told a news conference that action had been taken (against the mills) for breaching an agreement regarding the supply of flour. He said first information reports (FIRs) had also been lodged against three mill owners.

He said in order to regulate flour supply in the district and the city, six flour mills had set up 31 sales points and 194 fair price shops in the city to sell the commodity at Rs375 per 20kg bag. He said that 5,000 bags would be supplied to these points everyday. In addition, he said, 32 sales points had been set up at the four tehsil headquarters of the district.

FERTILISER: During a crackdown on the hoarders of fertiliser in Ahmedpur East and other places, cases were registered against nine people. The DCO said 24 government officials in the district had been given powers of first class magistrates to check the prices. He said these magistrates had conducted 1,800 raids on profiteers, who were fined Rs300,000 in three days. He said that even though the district administration had adopted a fool-proof procedure for the scrutiny of applicants of the food stamp scheme, 33 per cent applicants recommended by MPAs were rejected by scrutiny officials. He said 4,700 applicants were found deserving. He said that with the help of donors and philanthropists, four iftar centres would function in the city during Ramazan to serve free food to the poor. He said ‘sasta’ bazaars would be organised every day at district and tehsil headquarters, and 40 fair price shops were set up in the district to provide articles on cheap rates.

JUDGES: Khan Muhammad Husain Azad, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) central executive committee member, said that in accordance with the promises of Benazir Bhutto, the party stood for the reinstatement of judges.