MIRPURKHAS: Mirpurkhas district administration faced difficulties counting thousands of urea and sugar bags illegally hoarded in Memon flour mill on Sindhri road as no open space had been left in the mill to move the bags to.

Two more chakkis and a private warehouse were sealed by officials on Tuesday for hoarding wheat in violation of prevention of hoarding act.

Mirpurkhas deputy commissioner Zainul Abideen Memon accompanied by assistant commissioner of Hussain Bux Marri taluka, Younus Rind, police and other officials had carried out raid on the flour mill after receiving a tip-off a few days ago, and found six to seven thousands bags of sugar and as many bags of fertiliser hoarded.

They took action under the relevant law against hoarding and sealed the godown after imposing fine of Rs200,000, said officials.

They started counting the bags but faced great difficulties in the performance of the task as the godown was filled to capacity and had not extra space to move the bags to, said the sources.

The deputy commissioner told media persons that sugar bags were being auctioned on taluka level to distribute sugar among masses at Rs90 per kilogramme particularly through Bachat bazaar. The sugar would be provided at low cost through auction, he said.

He said that fertiliser bags were also being auctioned to dealers for sale at official rate and for discouraging black-marketing the farm input.

The sources said that various sugar dealers from different talukas were involved in selling sugar at market rate after obtaining it at auction at nominal mill rate.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2023