PESHAWAR: Wholesalers have increased the price of 20kg wheat flour bag by Rs15 in Peshawar ahead of the fasting month of Ramazan due to the reduced supply by millers to sale points over 50 per cent wheat quota curtailment.

“The information about increase in flour price is correct,” Sadaqat Khan, a spokesman for the Peshawar Wholesale Food Grain Dealers and General Merchants Association, told Dawn.

He said the increase in flour price (both fine and mixed) was a compulsion as dealers had to pay the amount at Attock checkpost to the police and personnel of Punjab Food Authority otherwise the trucks were not allowed to move towards Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The spokesman said the illegal practice had been going on for the last five days causing a shortage of supplies.

He said if the government did not take necessary steps, the flour price would increase in parts of KP during Ramazan.

Mr Sadaqat said the flour dealers had informed the food department and administration officials in time who assured them of taking up the matter with the provincial government.

Mills reduce supply to sale points

He said the administration’s entire focus was on lockdown, so fluctuation in prices of essential commodities was unnoticeable.

Also, an increase of Rs55 has been recorded in the price of 20kg flour bag during the last few days in the wholesale markets. The retailers are overcharging consumers.

Mr Sadaqat said five days ago, the price of special atta was Rs885 but it reached Rs900 on Thursday.

He pointed out that local millers had decreased the supply to sale points in Peshawar from 100 bags of 20kg to 30, which might lead to a crisis in the provincial metropolis.

Similarly, Pakistan Flour Mills Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Haji Mohammad Iqbal said flour supply to local official sales points had been decreased due to 50 decrease in wheat quota to flour mills by the provincial government.

“We have discussed the matter in an emergent meeting today and informed the government to ensure restoration of the required wheat quota otherwise the province will face flour crisis in Ramazan,” he warned.

The association leader said it was astonishing that the daily wheat quota to local mills had been reduced from 6,000 metric tons to 3,000 metric tons during the last two weeks without any reason.

He said the decision was made at a time when wheat harvesting season was under way in Sindh and Punjab provinces.

Mr Iqbal said the assumption about wheat smuggling of flour smuggling from Punjab to KP was totally wrong as under Article 151 of the Constitution, no province had the right to ban the supply of food to another one.

He warned that if the government didn’t address the problem at the earliest, the price of flour and roti (bread) would increase.

The mills association chief pointed out that the wheat shortage would lead to the closure of flour mills in KP and as a result, thousands of workers would lose jobs.

He demanded 10,000 metric tons wheat quota to local mills on a daily basis to meet the local needs.

The food department officials and deputy commissioner were not available for comments.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2020