KARACHI, Jan 18: The introduction of government-sponsored Rs175 per 10-kg bag at the flour mills and improved supplies in the open market have led to easing buyers’ rush at the utility stores to some extent, but the quality issue of the subsidised atta still remains unaddressed.

Many consumers have still some reservations about the quality of atta being sold at the utility stores in which paddy husk and some other items are being mixed. Besides, they are also complaining about change of roti colour prepared from subsidised atta.

Since the utility stores do not offer ‘return option’ the poor consumers have to compromise on the quality.

However, the Rs45 per bag difference between utility stores 10-kg bag (Rs130) and the government-sponsored atta (Rs175) is still attracting buyers from the low income class who start gathering outside these stores before the arrival time of truck carrying the 10-kg flour bags.

Ugly incidents of confrontation between the utility store officials and buyers standing in long queues have become a regular feature.

Masood Alam Niazi, Sindh and Balochistan Zone Manager of Utility Stores Corporation, told Dawn that he had talked to high officials of Pakistan Rangers on Friday and a meeting would be held on Saturday to discuss the issue of curbing lawlessness at utility stores.

However, he claimed that the rush at the stores in the city had subsided by 25-30 per cent after improvement in supplies in the open market and said that further contraction in buyers presence was unlikely because of the Rs45 per 10 kg bag difference.

He said the USC was now providing over 32,000-33,000 bags of 10 kg flour daily to 147 regular and franchise stores in the city as compared to 20,000-22,000 bags in the first week of this month and 8,000-9,000 bags two months back.

He said that the government had increased the wheat supply to the USC from 50,000 tons to 100,000 tons per month after the arrival of imported wheat.

He, however, was not ready to buy the idea of poor quality of the flour saying that the utility store’s flour is different in colour with other varieties due to higher percentage of wheat bran but it does not mean that its quality is poor.

He informed that that samples of the flour were sent to the various government departments to ascertain the quality and so far no complaints had so far been received.

Besides flour, the demand of one kg/litre ghee and cooking oil pouch has increased which is available at Rs67 at the utility stores as compared to other brands which are being sold at Rs115 to Rs123 in the open market, he said.