GUJRAT: The district food controller (DFC) has sought enhancement in the wheat quota for Gujrat that he claims is the lowest among all divisional headquarters of Punjab as well as other districts of the region.

The urban centres of the district, including Gujrat city, Lalamusa, Jalalpur Jattan and others, have been facing a shortage of flour supply in the wake of growing demand in the market, while long queues could be witnessed since early in the morning outside the main sale points of flour mills, presenting a crisis-like situation.

As per a letter written to the deputy commissioner, the DFC stated that currently the district’s mills were getting 11.97 bags per body each weighing 100 kilogrammes, which was insufficient to cater to the local needs. In 2021, the district’s wheat quota was 15.57 bags per body and 18.20 in 2020.

Gujrat is already among the deficit districts in terms of wheat crop production. Moreover, the DFC said the development of housing schemes had further reduced the cultivated land and after having been given the status of a divisional headquarter its urban population had increased in recent years.

The industrial workers and other low-income groups relied on subsidised flour bags, which was also a reason for the soaring demand.

The urban population mostly relied on flour form the mills instead of the traditional method of procuring wheat as per their needs, said an official of the flour mills association, adding Gujrat had 29 mills with at least 279 bodies producing flour.

He urged the district administration and Punjab government to enhance the wheat quota for the district to at least 20 bags per body to cater to its growing needs.

The wheat quota for Hafizabad district is highest in Gujrat division with 29.52 bags per body followed by 14 for the newly created Wazirabad district and 12.01 for Mandi Bahauddin.

The flour mills association has also called on Chief Minister Parvez Elahi to look into the matter and order the authorities concerned to enhance the quota.

The DFC however recommended an increase in the district’s wheat quota from 334 million tonnes to 558 million for smooth supply of flour to the market.

Published in Dawn, january 8th, 2023