ISLAMABAD, Oct 16: The capital administration on Thursday asked the Punjab government to increase wheat quota for all flour mills in Islamabad, and decided to deploy its officials at the grinding units to monitor supply of flour in the city.

Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ali Ahmed told this to the representatives of the Islamabad Flour Mills Association as well as flour dealers in a meeting which focused on streamlining and regulating the supply of 20kg bags of flour at the controlled rate of Rs420.

“About 32,000 flour bags are enough to meet the daily requirement of Islamabad, but presently only 16,000 flour bags are being supplied due to the reduction in the wheat quota by the Punjab government after Ramazan,” Mr Ahmed said.

Chief Commissioner ICT Kamran Lashari has already apprised the Punjab government of the issue. The Punjab food department is the only source which provides wheat to the flour mills operating in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The deputy commissioner informed the meeting that he had contacted the Rawalpindi administration to address the shortfall, and 22,000 additional flour bags were being arranged to meet the city’s requirement till the enhancement of the wheat quota.

Meanwhile, the local administration has decided to deploy the revenue staff at the flour mills to monitor the supply of the commodity through flour dealers, and to check the relevant record.

“Four monitoring teams headed by the magistrates will be verifying the record at retail level by conducting surprise visits to the markets,” Mr Ahmed said.

The deputy commissioner made it clear that the local administration would ensure the sale of wheat flour at the controlled rate and those involved in overcharging would not be spared.

The administration has increased the number of flour sale points in the city from 10 to 16, where magistrates would daily conduct checking to ensure the smooth and sufficient availability of flour bags. Volunteers from the civil defence department have also been deployed to monitor the situation.

The deputy commissioner said flour dealers had been directed to provide the list of retailers to whom they would be supplying the flour so that the magistrates could counter check the quantity and quality of the staple food.

The millers have also been ordered to ensure the delivery of flour to the dealers by 11am every day.

In order to check illegal movement of flour, the local administration has set up six pickets at Golra, Tarnol, Sangjani, Pir Sohawa, Koral and Satra Meel where officials of the food and revenue departments have been deployed.