Wholesalers, retailers and the general public have called upon the government to import wheat to ensure ready availability, and provide subsidised white flour (maida) along with normal flour at all Utility Stores sale points.
A worker, Muhammad Waheed, talking to APP, claimed that flour mill-owners were purchasing wheat from the Food Department at Rs 465 per 40 kg, while its rate on the open market is Rs 600. He alleged that the millers grind a few bags of brown flour (atta) while the major portion of wheat supplied by the Food Department is converted into white flour (maida) and sold in the open market at Rs 640 per maund. "Shopkeepers then sell it at the rate of Rs 18 per kg, which is quite unbearable for the low-income groups, including myself," he said.
A trader, Rahim Ahmed, suggested that the government should ensure that white and brown flour (atta and maida) are produced in equal quantity, with the sale price for white flour fixed at Rs 300 or Rs 310 per 20 kg bag, so that flour millers do not black-market the commodity.
When contacted, Flour Mills Association Multan vice-chairman Muzammil Hussain told APP that police were conducting raids and arresting even those shopkeepers who possess only 40 or 50 bags of wheat flour in their stores.
"Even they are being termed hoarders, which is unjust, and is one of the factors behind the flour price hike", he observed, adding that as a result wholesalers are hesitant to lift stocks from the flour mills. He said it had become almost impossible for millers to withhold huge stocks with thems.
He said the wholemeal flour (brown atta) is also being sold at fair price shops set up in front of almost every flour mill in the city, at the government-fixed rate of Rs 285 per 20 kg.
Meanwhile, a wholesaler, proprietor of Khalid Kariana Store, alleged that flour mill owners were getting wheat from the government at Rs 465 per 40 kg and were selling it to exporters at Rs 600 per maund for Afghanistan, without grinding. "This is resulting in the shortage of wheat flour and its spiralling price," he asserted.
However, the mill owners' representative refuted the charges, blaming police raids for the price hike. He further complained that the Food Department was supplying them wheat from Passco godowns which are far from the city, and they have to bear the heavy cartage expenses which are added to the flour price.
A retailer, Muhammad Ashraf, told APP that he was buying fine flour at Rs 660 per maund, which was most often under-weighed, and they could not afford to sell it below Rs 18 per kg.
Food Department officials, when contacted, told APP that it was being ensured that all wheat being supplied to mill owners is ground to flour, and the latter cannot black-market it at all.
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