LAHORE: After a prolonged dialogue, issues were sorted out between the millers and the food department and the former ended their strike and switched their mills on after a hiatus of 24 hours.

The millers say they have been assured that the district administration will not arrest the mill owners, both parties will jointly develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) to deal with each other’s fears and the department will issue permits for sending flour to other provinces.

The department, on its part, was of the opinion that millers were [allegedly] rigging the supply chain; sending subsidised flour to other federating units and making a windfall. “On Tuesday, we stood on the M2 (motorway connecting Lahore to Islamabad) for 10 minutes and found two trucks carrying flour to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” explains a high-ranking official of the market.

After such evidence, what else would one need to act? The department did precisely, what it was supposed to do: stop subsidised flour smuggled out. It is millers’ business, which no one wants to hamper. But, it is also their duty to keep supply line clean and play by the rules. “Otherwise, the department would be at it again, when and if need be,” he warns.

The millers, on their part, reiterated their demand of increasing subsidised wheat quota. “It is now even more necessary to increase quota because a gap of 24 hours has been created in the supply chain, which would take a few days to recover. However, if the department raises quota from current 16,700 tonnes to 21,000 tonnes, the gap would be bridged quickly and efficiently. If not, it may take a few more days.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2022