KARACHI, Sept 24: The Sindh government has fixed wheat flour prices at Rs15 per kg at the retail level and Rs13.5 per kg at the ex-mill stage with immediate effect, a handout issued on Monday from the provincial food department said. The prices would remain the same during Ramazan and no hike would be allowed until further orders, it added.

The prevailing shortage of wheat flour and overcharging were discussed at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Aijaz Ahmed Qureshi here on Monday. The chief secretary asked the DCOs and price control officials with magisterial powers to ensure provision of all essential items of daily use to consumers at the prices notified by the government.

He said the government was making due efforts to overcome the shortage of wheat flour and control its prices through vigorous campaigns.

Two reports, one prepared by the provincial food department and the other by the City District Government Karachi, came under review at the meeting.

The food department report has submitted that the price of a 100-kg wheat bag had been controlled through a liaison with the private sector and the rate had now been reduced. Last week, wheat was procured from the private sector at Rs1,550 per 100-kg bag, it stated, adding that a considerable reduction in the prices would be witnessed in a few days.

The meeting was told that action was being taken against hoarders, as well as the officials and employees of the food department, allegedly involved in the scam. It was noted in the report that about a dozen flour mills in the province had been restrained from functioning and disciplinary action against a deputy controller in the food department was being taken under the Removal from Service Ordinance.

The CDGK report said that items of daily use were being made available to consumers at the fixed prices in all 18 towns of Karachi through bachat bazaars and model bazaars, besides mobile vans. Action was being taken against profiteers and hoarders under a campaign, it added.

According to the food department’s statistical analysis, flour prices in the province had gone up to Rs20 per kg but there had now been a reduction of Rs2 to Rs3 per kg at retail level. The wheat allocation to the province had been increased by almost 50 per cent this weak, i.e. from 25,020 tons to 38,340 tons per week.

The chief secretary stressed that the officials concerned should also ensure that consumers were being delivered the desired items with proper measurement and the official price list was displayed at every outlet.—Agencies