0
LAHORE, April 8: Flour will be supplied directly to shops set up in various localities of the city and every mill will ensure provision of the commodity to at least 20 such outlets in its respective area.
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of flour mill owners, presided over by District Coordination Officer Sajjad Ahmad here on Tuesday.
At least three mills would ensure supply of flour to 60 shops in a town, enabling the Lahorites to purchase the essential commodity according to their requirement from the nearest outlets.
Strict action would be taken against the mill concerned if flour was found short at any shop in any area, warned the DCO.
Earlier, the meeting was informed that action was taken against 49 traders for selling flour at more than the fixed price or for hoarding it, while cases were got registered against three others, and a fine of Rs77,600 was also imposed on these traders.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has taken action against 70 flour mills in the province for smuggling, overcharging, reduced grinding and supply of atta in the market, suspending their wheat quota, said a Food department spokesman here on Tuesday.
The government also found some of the mills guilty of not compiling proper record to cover up their wrongdoings, the spokesperson said.
The defaulting flour mills are from Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khanewal, Jhang, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Vehari and Rajanpur districts.
He said the suspended wheat quota of any flour mill would be allocated to the others in the area.
He said some flour mills were found delaying grinding of wheat that was available at Rs465 per 40kg from the department, for profiteering by selling the commodity at new rate of Rs625 per 40kg.
The spokesman said the provincial government supplied more than 18,000 tons of wheat every day to 665 flour mills of the province at subsidised rates in order to ensure the constant supply of atta to the people at reasonable rates.
PROCURMENT: The Punjab Food Department will begin wheat procurement from April 15 at new support price of Rs625 per 40 kilogramme, Food Secretary Seerat Asghar said on Tuesday, the APP adds.
Mr Asghar said 375 purchase centres were established which could be increased in view of demand. He said the Food department and Passco would procure wheat every day from 7am to 7pm without any break even on holidays.
He said wheat bags were being distributed among growers on furnishing surety from a BPS 17 officer or a 'lamberdar', while more than 100 bags would be given against call deposit.
