Wheat supply to four flourmills restored

The Punjab Food Department restored the wheat supply to four flourmills on Tuesday but suspended the quota of six other mills in Jhang, Toba Tek Singh and Faisalabad because they showed less grinding and short supply to market.
Representatives of those 17 flourmills and Pakistan Flourmills Association (PFMA-Punjab) Chairman Haji Maqsud Ahmad met Punjab Food Director Arif Anwar Baloch today. On submission of a undertaking by four mills named Alnoor Flour Mills, Barkat Flour Mills, Badami Bagh Flour Mills and Star Flour Mills that they would not indulge in any wrong doing in future, the director food ordered for restoration of their quota.
Anwar told Business Recorder and confirmed the restoration of quota to the above said mills. He said all the mills whose supply was suspended had submitted undertaking with the food department. However, a record of these four mills was showing no major problem. "We need some more records and papers from other mills for restoration of quota," he added.
He said the department was continuing with its move to crack down on those involved in short supply to market and deputy director food (Faisalabad) suspended wheat quota of three flourmills in Jhang, two in Faisalabad and one in Toba Tek Singh today.
PFMA Chairman Haji Maqsud Ahmad, when contacted, said he hoped the wheat quota of all the mills would be restored shortly. A Punjab food ministry spokesman said that 436,315 bags of 20-kg atta had been supplied to five big cities of the province including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan and Faisalabad yesterday.
Giving details of the supply, Food Minister Hussain Jahania Gardezi said up to 137,899 bags had been supplied to Rawalpindi, 105,499 in Lahore, 89,766 in Gujranwala, 44,600 in Multan whereas 58,551 bags of 20-kg flour had been supplied to Faisalabad.
The minister said his government was supplying sufficient wheat as per requirement to the flourmills and flourmill owners must ensure supply of atta in the market accordingly. He further said that action would be taken against the flourmills, not providing atta in the market according to the quota of wheat released by the food department. The minister also said consumers could complain to concerned DCOs regarding the flour price hike.