HYDERABAD, March 17: A food department official, in a statement issued here on Wednesday, said that press reports about flour shortage in Hyderabad region were incorrect.

Hyderabad region food department deputy director Allah Bachayo Chandio claimed in the statement that wheat flour was available in huge quantity at every street of the city at shops, chakkis, flour stalls and mills.

He said in Qasimabad, three big flour stalls had been set up at Mehmood Hospital road, Ali Palace and Naseem Nagar roundabout. On the other hand, the district council, at its meeting held here on Wednesday, not only condemned the shortage of wheat flour in the city, but also taken strong exception to the statement of the prime minister that there was no shortage in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, the president of the Hyderabad Atta Chakki Owners Association, Haji Nawab Ali, who had been complaining about the shortage of wheat for the last so many months, also announced on Wednesday - following the visit of the provincial food secretary on March 14 - that there was no shortage of flour in Hyderabad.

However, as Mr Ali was making the announcement outside the press club, the workers of two organizations were staging separate rallies at the same place about the shortage of wheat flour.