Attock - Deputy Director Food Rawalpindi Division Zaryab Sajid Kamboh has said that there was no shortage of wheat flour anywhere in this division and that sufficient stock of wheat was available with shopkeepers and there was no shortage.
He was talking to newsmen. He said that the process of supply of flour at a controlled rate is going on in all the districts of the Rawalpindi division (Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal) on a daily basis and there is no complaint. Responding to a question, Kamboh said that the imported wheat has arrived at the reserve gowdowns of Food Department Rawalpindi and subsequently being supplied to flour mills of Rawalpindi Division including Islamabad, Jhelum, Attock and Chakwal.
Responding a question, Kamboh said that the food department has introduced proper check and balance over flour mills operating in the division for fair and transparent distribution of flour to the public, non-observance of extraction ratio, less weight, stenciling of bags, poor observance of cleanliness, improper book keeping and having moisture in the flour and in this connection action was taken against as many as 29 flour mills of the division.
Kamboh ruled out shortage of flour to the masses in Rawalpndi division adding that 4,000 bags of flour were being supplied to each of the 17 sahulat bazaars of Rawalpindi as well as 190 fair price shops besides 40 different trucking points to provide flour to the masses at their door steps besides over 250 dealers.
He said that flour millers of the region are getting wheat from Sindh and South Punjab and there is no ban over procurement and transportation, however, hoarding would not be allowed at any cost. Kamboh said that 78 flour mills are operating in Rawalpindi district while 47 in Islamabad and food department along with other departments like Punjab forest department has launched audit of all the flour mills operating in the region to check the demand and supply of wheat and flour and its proper distribution in the market. He said teams would also check and verify the record of stock and grinding of wheat officially supplied to the respective flour mills to curb the hoarding and ensure fair distribution in the market. He ruled out the impression that there is ban over inter-district and inter-provincial transportation of wheat and flour.