BAHAWALPUR: The price of wheat flour (atta) in the bazaars of the city and its suburbs has been unilaterally increased by sellers, creating difficulties for the daily-wage earners and the middle class.

People have expressed concern over the sharp rise in flour price at a time when wheat harvest had just completed and the commodity was easily available in the grain markets.

According to some customers, the retailers charged at least Rs100 and Rs50 extra on 20- and 10-kilogramme flour bags, respectively. As a result, the consumers were forced to buy flour at higher rates from the open market. They said earlier the 20kg and 10kg bags were easily available for Rs900 and Rs450, respectively, but were now being sold for Rs1,000 and Rs500, respectively.

At many places, they claimed, the rates were even higher -- a 20kg bag was being sold for Rs1,100.

According to customers, flour prices have also been increased by chakki walas, who sold it on Monday at Rs60 per kg, while in the markets, flour was available for Rs50 per kg.

District Food Controller Ijaz Sial could not be contacted, however food officials claimed there was no control over flour prices of mills that were not buying wheat from the food department.

These officials told Dawn that nowadays as wheat was being sold in the open market for Rs1,700 per 40kg, flour rates have also been increased. When wheat was being supplied to the mills by the food department the rate was controlled and a 20kg bag was available for Rs805. They argued that the prices in markets could only be checked by price magistrates and controlled by the district administration.

With the increase in flour prices, the naanbais and tandoor walas also hinted at increasing prices of roti and naan from Rs5 to Rs7, and Rs10 to Rs12.

INQUIRY INTO INFORMER’S DEATH: On the orders of the Bahawalpur regional police officer (RPO), the Rahim Yar Khan district police officer (DPO) has constituted an inquiry committee over the death of an alleged police informer in custody at Tarinda Muhammad Panah police station a couple of days ago.

This was stated by Rehan Gilani, the RPO’s spokesman, on Monday. He said an inquiry committee had been tasked with probing into the issue.

The deceased Shehenshah was allegedly involved in a number of cases of possession of illegal arms in various police stations of the Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan districts. He said action against any police official would be taken after the outcome of the inquiry report.

Shehenshah, stated to be a police informer, was allegedly tortured to death in the Tarinda Muhammad Panah police station and his parents had demonstrated against his death.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2020