LAHORE, Dec 10: Lahorites have been consuming flour prepared from rotten wheat for quite some time.

Rotten wheat is reportedly being supplied by the Punjab food department from its reserves. The wheat has been infested by fungus due to exposure to moisture and is not fit for human consumption. But the corrupt food department officials continue to supply it to the flour mills.

A considerable quantity of infested wheat was disposed of for supply of millions of bags of subsidised flour in the province under the Ramazan package. People complained about the quality of flour and were reluctant to purchase it.

The millers in certain districts complained that rotten wheat was being supplied to them and claimed that they refused to lift it.

Pakistan Flour Mills Association vice-chairman Majid Abdullah said in a statement on Tuesday rotten wheat was being supplied to the mills from the railways signal shop godowns and was three years old.

He claimed that the mills were being forced to lift the wheat by the food department officials. The wheat stocks were not only rotten but the bags were also underweight.

He said the food department high-ups had been informed about the supply of rotten wheat to the mills but nothing had so far been done.