SUKKUR, Feb 26: An acute shortage of wheat is prevailing in Sukkur region due to which flour is being sold from Rs16 to Rs18 per kg. The reason for this was said to be the closure of six flour mills , out of 18 in the city, while the remaining 12 were purchasing costly Punjab wheat from the open market.

Sindh Flour Mills Association chairman Muneer Memon and vice- chairman Aijaz Baloch said they were purchasing Punjab wheat from the open market from Rs13 to Rs14 per kg, therefore, the wheat flour is sold at Rs16 per kg.

They said the provincial food minister's claim that 600,000 bags of wheat were in stock was not correct. On the contrary this stock only existed in record of the food department, they said.

If such quantity of wheat were available, then present situation would not have taken place, the added. They disclosed that out of 500,000 bags of wheat purchased from Punjab, only 50 thousand bags wheat was supplied to Sukkur region, while the remaining bags were provided to Hyderabad and Karachi regions.

They said that during last two days only 1,000 wheat bags were issued to flour mills. They said the food department sold out wheat stocks of 1999 to 2002 in the open market, which resulted in the bad quality of the wheat flour, while the people were made to eat five years old wheat.

They said 400,000 bags of wheat imported from Australia was lying on the port on the plea that it contained virus. They said that Australia was the largest exporter of the wheat in the world, and its 2004 wheat was lying on the port, collecting a heavy demurrage.

They alleged that the said wheat was not being taken as the food department could not get kickback from it, and the department was demanding illegal gratification to declare it free from virus.

Sukkur Atta Chakki Association president Jalaluddin Narewal told this correspondent that the food department was issuing only two bags of wheat per day to a 'chakki'.

He said that several 'chakkis' had been closed as wheat shortage has again surfaced in the district. He demanded that the food department should enhance the wheat quota of 'chakkis' to ensure sufficient supply of flour to the people.