KOHAT: The flour dealers association of Kohat division has rejected the new quota system introduced by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, under which quota for the division has been slashed to only 270 tonnes daily, which has caused the prices to soar to Rs3,900 from Rs3,200 per 20-kilogramme bag.

Talking to Dawn on Friday, a flour dealer, Rehmat Elahi expressed grave concern over the food department’s decision and said the total demand of the division was 1,080 tonnes daily.

The provincial food controller has introduced the new quota system, under which 3,000 tonnes of flour would be distributed among 35 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on a daily basis, showing a shortfall of 12,600 tonnes for a population of 40.8 million, sources said.

The sources said the food controller had nominated dealers to order trucks of flour from Raheem Yar Khan district of Punjab for Kohat (94 tonnes), Hangu (44 tonnes), Karak (60 tonnes), Kurram (51 tonnes) and Orakzai (21 tonnes).

The dealers said amid wheat shortage and restriction imposed by the Punjab government on flour supply to KP, they had to smuggle it by paying Rs10,000 at every checkpost as bribe for clearance of trucks.

They demanded of the government to retain the criteria of open buying according to the needs on the basis of population.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2023