Wheat flour prices out of control across country

LAHORE/KARACHI (92 News) – The wheat and flour prices out of control as the government has been failed to implement wheat flour on fixed rate of Rs 43 per kilogram on Monday. According to the details garnered, shopkeepers in Lahore are selling flour at Rs70 per kg after crisis intensified in Punjab. However, the wheat flour is being sold at the price of Rs64 in Multan. In Faisalabad, the negotiations with the owners of ‘Atta Chakki’ have been failed and they announced to close their ‘Atta Chakkis’ for unspecified time periods. After failure in negotiations with the provincial Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, the nanbais went on strike in Peshawar and Hazara on Monday. All tandoors have been closed in the city, bringing misery for dwellers. In KP, a bag of super fine wheat flour weighing 85kg is being sold for Rs5,200 and a 20kg bag is being sold for Rs1,100. The Sindh government orders of selling the wheat flour on fixed rate of Rs 43 per kilogram has become a farce with non-compliance of the orders in the city on Monday. The provincial government has fixed Rs 43 per kilogram ex-mill price of the wheat flour and had ordered action against the profiteers amid the flour crisis and inflated rates of the commodity. According to reports, the provincial as well as the city administrations have failed to enforce the order of the sale of wheat four on the fixed government price. Under the prevailing situation, tanoor owners are pressing for increasing the price of flour and ‘naan’ at a high rate. The Flour Chakki Association secretary general said that they would sell flour at Rs64 if the government would give them quality wheat at Rs1,850 per maund. He threatened to close the ‘chakkis’ if the government forced them to sell flour at a low price. On the other hand, the district administration said that trucks have been parked at 20 points to ensure the sale of flour. The flour which was available at Rs1,800 per maund a fortnight ago is being sold at Rs 2,800 per maund. Citizens are of the view that other food items are available in the market, but the flour price has skyrocket. “Should we provide food to our children or give the rent of our houses?” they questioned. Meanwhile, the federal government has announced an operation against profiteers. KP Minister for Information Shaukat Yousafzai said that there is no flour crisis in the province. “The strike of bikers is beyond understanding despite the provision of flour at subsidized rates,” he said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken notice of the increase in the flour price. He has assigned the task of reducing the flour price to Jahangir Tareen and Khusru Bakhtiar. He directed the both figures to consult the chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in this regard.