BAHAWALPUR, Oct 9: Consumers are facing shortage of flour in the open market in the city and suburbs ahead of Ramazan.

It is learnt that the shortage of flour at the retailers' shops in the open market is mainly due to hording by the shopkeepers with Ramazan few days away, as they feared that flour mills might not supply the product regularly to their shop during the coming days.

According to reports, a bag of 20 kilograms of flour is being sold for Rs230 in some of the city bazaars and for Rs250 in the suburbs.

The retailers alleged that the flour mills had suspended them supply of atta and the millers of other areas were selling it at higher rates without any check from the district government.

However, the district administration is claiming that it is making arrangements for sasta atta scheme only for the deserving people and government employees during Ramazan.

COTTON SEED: With the downward trend of phutti (cotton seed) prices in various parts of the district, the growers have suspended the plucking of the product claiming they are being offered less price compared to the government's fixed price of Rs925 per 40kg.

They have expressed the apprehensions that both ginners and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan have joined hands against the interests of growers, as the former were paying them Rs825 per 40kg.

The growers threatened to lodge protest with the government if the ginners did not pay them the government's support price of Rs925 per 40kg.

NADRA CENTRE: The National Database and Registration Authority opened its swift centre at Yazman on Saturday. It is the third centre in Bahawalpur. Earlier, Nadra opened such centres at Hasilpur and Ahmedpur East tehsils.

With the opening of the third centre at Yazman, the people from far-flung areas like Cholistan can also get their CNICs.

STRIKE: The PTCL's employees' token strike of two hours entered into the sixth day on Saturday for the acceptance of their demands.

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