LARKANA, Nov 18: The Sindh Flour Mills Association (SFMA) has refused to lift wheat on government rate from Sindh Food Department. The Sindh government had purchased wheat at the rate of Rs700 per 100 kg had fixed its selling rate at Rs 850 per100 kg.

The SFMA showed its inability to purchase wheat from Sindh food department for it (SFMA) could purchase wheat from Punjab at Rs 800 to 830 per kg and it was more attractive for them, the SFMA sources said. To address this serious issue a meeting convened lately between the SFMA and Sindh minister for food and agriculture in Karachi on Wednesday remained inconclusive.

The SFMA stuck to its guns while the food department could not change it stand. Already the 1.1 million tons of wheat was lying in the godowns in Sindh province and Rs 10 million had been spent on the fumigation to save the stocks as the reported weevil attack had worried the department.

While Sindh food department was trying to convince the SFMA to lift the wheat stock, the Punjab government had curtailed the rate from Rs:800 to Rs:700 per 100 kg. The sources in SFMA alleged that it all happens because the department had failed to realize and address the degree of seriousness. The SFMA has proposed the government to fix the rate at Rs 727 per 100 kg as Ramzan package to counter the heavy influx of wheat from Punjab. The delay in decision may damage the stocks which are already affected due to weevils attack, the SFMA said.

Sindh government was seriously considering to lower the rate of wheat under the prevailing conditions, the SFMA sources said adding that in this connection a high level meeting in Karachi had been held but the decision was yet to come.

Meanwhile the Sindh food department has decided to issue show cause notices to the food inspectors and food supervisors who had exceeded the procurement targets, the sources said adding that previously all those who had crossed the targets were given appreciation certificates and now the table had turned against them.

This had generated a wave of resentment among the procurement staff.