PESHAWAR, Nov 28: The Awami National Party (ANP) has held the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) government responsible for the persisting flour crisis in the NWFP.

ANP provincial General Secretary Fareed Toofan said here on Sunday the Punjab government had banned the transportation of flour and wheat to the NWFP in the past, but despite the ban flour was available in the market.

He said the provincial government had failed to control the price of Roti, and Tandoori bread price had risen from Rs2 to Rs4. He alleged that the MMA government had benefited the industrialists of Punjab to save the subsidy on wheat, which had adversely affected the interests of the mill owners of the NWFP.

He said the policies of the so-called Islamic government had turned the NWFP into a colony of Punjab. The Punjab government, he said, had increased the rate of crushing from Rs30 to Rs47 per bag and was providing 500 to 1,000 bags to industrialist per day.