LAHORE, April 5: The Punjab Food Department has denied any flour shortage in the province.

A spokesman of the department said that there was no possibility of shortage of the commodity because 18,000 tons of wheat was being released to 665 flour mills which was 26 per cent more than the per day requirement.The spokesman said that flour shortage was also not possible in the province because 180,000 atta bags were being marketed daily against a requirement of 110,000 bags.

He said the government had fixed the wheat support price for the next season at Rs 625 per 40kg but the commodity was being supplied to the mills at the rate of Rs465 per kg. According to district government sources, 67,000 flour bags were sold in the provincial metropolis on Saturday, and there was no shortage of commodity in the city. The DCO had ordered that atta should be made available at all the Sunday bazaars in addition to the prescribed sale points.

Meanwhile, the city district government special magistrates on Saturday arrested six shopkeepers for selling essential commodities at exorbitant rates.

The magistrates also imposed fines totalling Rs 145,800 on 55 shopkeepers during the raids.