FAISALABAD, Feb 25: People throughout the district have been facing an acute flour shortage. During a round of the city and some rural areas in the district , it was observed that flour prices were going up day by day and stockists were minting money by creating its artificial shortage.

Stockists and flour mills owners are involved in this nasty affair with the patronage of corrupt food officials, but the government is playing the role of a silent spectator.

It is also noticed that flour mills owners are exploiting the situation and making huge profit due to the shortage of this important commodity. Moreover, the food department has allegedly failed to ensure availability of required flour to about six million population of the district despite public complaints.

The schemes introduced by the provincial government for the supply of flour to the public at subsidized rates also proved an eyewash. The department's record also gave out an alarming increase in the number of complaints about the shortage of flour in the city and its five tehsils - Chak Jhumra, Sadar, Samundri, Tandlianwala and Jaranwala.

The elected representatives are also raising their voice in media and different forums but all their efforts proved futile. The Food department functionaries themselves admit that they are supplying less wheat to flour mills as compared to their capacity and the requirement of the people under a set formula.

An official, on the condition of anonymity, informed that the local flour mills owners were supplying atta to their partners in Afghanistan and some tribal areas on lucrative prices with the alleged connivance of government officials and the law enforcement agencies.

The abrupt enhancement in the support price of wheat from Rs300 to Rs340 has also aggravated the situation. The loose atta is being marketed at Rs13 to Rs14 per kg while the 20kg atta bag, which was available at Rs190 to Rs200, is now being sold at Rs220 to Rs225.

Citizens have called upon the Punjab chief minister and the governor to take notice of the flour shortage in the urban and rural areas of the district as well as some other parts of the province.

Meanwhile, the Food department officials said that out of 38 flour mills in the district, 33 were functional and operating to meet the requirement of the people. They claimed that there was no shortage of flour in the district.