KHAIRPUR, Sept 20: Wheat flour is being sold at rate higher than the price fixed by the district administration.

Wheat flour is now selling at Rs22 per kg which before Ramazan was available at Rs14 per kg.

People belonging to lower income group, particularly daily wagers, were facing hardships due to this price hike.

Reports said that price hike was due to the shortage of wheat flour in the market.

President Anjuman-i-Tajiran district Khairpur, Qutubuddin Shaikh told Dawn on Thursday that flour shortage could not have caused price hike but it was the big traders who hoarded stocks to create artificial shortage of flour.

A government employee, Athar Siddiqui said that he purchased atta at Rs22 per kg on Thursday and was disturbed on sudden rise in prices.

Leader of Muttahida Mazdoor Federation Khairpur, Shahbaz Dino Phulpoto said that many labourers told him that they were purchasing wheat flour at Rs22 per kg since Wednesday.

He said that the government had fixed wheat flour price at Rs14 per kg but administration had failed to implement the decision of the government.

Our Mirpurkhas correspondent adds: The government has failed to control prices of essential commodities particularly flour which was being sold at Rs20 to 22 per kg in the district Mirpurkhas.

The district government has fixed price of flour at Rs14 per kg but the district and taluka administrations have failed to implement the fixed prices of essential commodities.

Reports said that flour mills had hoarded a big quantity of wheat at their godowns in different areas of the city. However, authorities had taken no notice of the issue.

Hoarders and profiteers were also causing price hike of flour. People have demanded of the government to ensure implementation on official price list of essential commodities.