PESHAWAR: The district administration of Peshawar has arrested nine dealers for allegedly receiving money from deserving people for free wheat flour distributed under the provincial government’s Ramazan package amid high food inflation.

Four arrests were made on Thursday and five on Friday on people’s complaints, according to officials.

Additional deputy commissioner of Peshawar Naveed Akhtar told Dawn that the arrested men allegedly demanded money for giving away free flour.

He also said that the flour quota of the accused was cancelled.

Mr Akhtar said that the action was directly taken by the district administration on the complaints received from the people.

He said that the people brought the matter to the notice of the administration’s officials during the latter’s visit to markets.

The additional deputy commissioner said that besides people’s complaints, the flour distribution dashboard was also monitored and flour provided to the dealers was checked.

He also said that the administration checked records of the flour bags supplied to the dealers.

Mr Akhtar said that the flour distribution lists maintained by dealers were examined to see if flour was given away to the deserving families.

Officials of the district administration said that the action was taken against flour dealers on the Charsadda Road and in Akhunabad, Faqeerabad, Yakatoot, Bhana Marhi, Shah Qabool and Chamkani areas.

They said that the district administration monitored the quality of wheat flour supplied to the dealers for distribution to the deserving families at the designated places in Peshawar free of charge.

On April 2, the provincial food department asked the police to register cases against three flour dealers over the distribution fraud.

Officials informed Dawn that the department asked the relevant police stations to book those flour dealers.

They said that they received complaints against two dealers about non-provision of flour bags to deserving people.

The officials said that separate cases would be registered against flour dealers in Khazana area of the provincial capital for legal action.

Officials said that one dealer was accused of receiving money from the people for the provision of free wheat flour.

They added that the food department sought the registration of two such cases in Peshawar’s Khazana area and one in Daudzai area.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2023