September 01, 2008	Monday	Sha'aban 29, 1429

RAWALPINDI, Aug 31: A majority of flour mills in Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Sunday ignored the strike call given by Punjab Flour Mills Association and lifted their quotas of wheat from the food department, a senior official of the department claimed.

The association had given the strike call against rising milling cost and the Punjab government’s decision to slash the subvention amount paid to the millers.

Statistics compiled by the food department showed that 79 flour mills out of the 85 in Rawalpindi and Islamabad had lifted their allocated quota of wheat on Friday. However, on Saturday this number decreased to 54 mills, but the amount of wheat lifted remained the same. The food department was releasing 1,717 tons of wheat on a daily basis.

The food department official told Dawn that it had ensured supply of 69,000 bags of wheat flour in the twin cities on a daily basis. From Monday, wheat flour supply will be in green bags which will be sold at Rs300 per 20kg bag at retail shops and special sale points. The official said 70 per cent of the daily stock would be sold through retailers while the sale of 30 per cent would go through Sasta bazaars and special sale points.

The statistics revealed that 19,000 bags of wheat flour were sold from nine sale points at weekly bazaars in Rawalpindi. The official said the situation was improving in other wheat-deficient areas of the Potohar region. In Attock, out of 6,500 bags supplied, 6,420 bags were sold. In Jhelum, 2,570 bags were supplied whereas 2,400 bags were sold; and in Chakwal the entire stock of 2,100 bags was sold out.

The food department official expected over-buying during the first two days of Ramazan, as the salaried class would start purchasing their monthly ration after Ramazan 1 when banks would remain closed for Zakat deduction.

The official further said almost all flour mills in Jhelum and Chakwal were lifting their quota of wheat. However, in Attock, only four out of the 20 mills had lifted their quota. The department made alternative arrangements by grinding wheat from the flour mills of Taxila and Wah to meet the demand in Attock. The official said the flour mills in Attock had agreed to lift their quota from Monday.

No official of the Flour Mills Association was available for their comments on the decision of a majority of flour mills in Rawalpindi and Islamabad not to join the strike. The office-bearers switched off their cellphones on Sunday.