QUETTA, Jan 6: The Balochistan chapter of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association urged the provincial government to provide wheat on basis of population to provide relief to the people. The association’s secretary-general of the Muhammad Sharif reminded that the Punjab government provided a subsidy amounting to Rs18 billion while the Balochistan government allocated only Rs620 million.

Stressing the need for introducing rationing in the province, he said the system was already in vogue in Punjab, Sindh and the NWFP. He also called for providing unlimited bank loan facilities to flour mill owners in Balochistan and said a similar facility was already being provided to millers in Punjab.

Mr Sharif also called for enhancing Balochistan’s wheat quota and said the province was facing a shortage of wheat flour. He said there was a need to increase transportation rates of the wheat supply contractors because of spiralling rise in prices of petroleum products.