HYDERABAD, Feb 5: Atta Chakki Owners Social Welfare Association Hyderabad warned on Monday that the closure of flour mills could not be ruled out as a last-resort option if the Sindh Food Department failed to suspend supply of substandard wheat to the mills.

A meeting of the association’s executive committee chaired by Haji Nawab Ali criticised the continued supply of substandard wheat to the flour mills and decided to hold a general body meeting on February 8 to take decisions about launching a protest movement against the Sindh Food Department and a possible closure of mills as a last resort.

The meeting alleged that 186 flour mills of Hyderabad city, Latifabad, Qasimabad, Tandojam and other areas were being forced to buy injurious wheat from the government godowns.

The wheat was so unhygienic that the department had to order 35,000 bags lying in Hyderabad godowns destroyed, the meeting said and demanded that the wheat lying in Bolhari godowns should also be destroyed.

The meeting complained that the flour mill owners were purchasing good quality wheat in the open market at Rs1,210 per bag while the department was forcing them to pay Rs1,126 a bag for the substandard wheat.

Haji Nawab Ali told Dawn after the meeting that the closure of mills could not be ruled out if the Sindh Food Department failed to suspend the supply of substandard wheat.