KARACHI: Sindh Food Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla said that the provincial government was giving a subsidy of Rs25 billion on the supply of flour at Rs65 per kilogram at 700 points across the province.

Addressing a joint press conference, ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Mr Chawla said the biggest problem in the country was the rehabilitation of the flood victims, adding that it was not the time for politics on flood victims.

Food Minister Chawla said: “Flour has been made available on 80 per cent of the designated centres/points on Wednesday,” he said, adding that flour would be available at 100 per cent centres in a couple of days.

The food minister said that 800,000 bags of wheat were required daily in the province, while 400,000 bags were required daily in Karachi.

He said that 25,000 bags of flour were made available in Karachi yesterday, which were all sold by the evening.

Minister Memon said that the provincial government had taken a big step to provide relief to the people. “Our entire leadership, chief minister, cabinet members, MPAs, MNAs are focusing on providing maximum relief to the people of the province,” he said.

He said that the convenience of the public, flour was being provided to the people at discounted rates through shops, stalls and mobile trucks across the province.

The information minister said that the deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners had been strictly instructed to ensure that the facility of provision of flour at subsidized rate was not misused.

He said that relief activities were under way in the province. “As many as 355,384 tents, 358,998 plastic tarpaulins, 2,676,473 mosquito nets, 776,313 litres of mineral water, 49,919 kitchen sets and other items have been distributed among the victims, while 950,224 families have been provided ration bags,” he added.

The local government minister said that spray machines had been made available for fumigation at the union council level in the entire province.

“The fumigation drive is under way in the entire province, while the district administration, irrigation department, local bodies, public health are working together on dewatering,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2022