MULTAN - District government has fixed 700 Metric ton wheat quota for per week supply to functional flour mills in Multan district to ensure availability of wheat flour (Atta) to people at fixed price. The decision was taken in the light of instructions issued by food department, Punjab government, fixing ex-mill and retail price of Atta produced from government supplied wheat stocks besides other guidelines.Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amir Khatak said that the initiative would ensure availability of 10 kg Atta bag to the people at Rs 430 per bag while 20 kg Atta at Rs 860 per bag in the open market. Flour mills have been held bound to supply 10 kg Atta bags to dealers at Rs 419 per bag and 20 kg bag at Rs 837 per bag.

Food department also asked flour mills to ensure extraction ratio of wheat flour at 65:22:13 (flour, fine, bran). DC said that wheat quota would be supplied only to functional flour mills and mills would be bound to supply Atta to the open market. Those failing to supply Atta to dealers would be sealed, DC warned. Khatak said that official teams would be formed to monitor flour mills, their grinding and supply chain besides dealers stock. Flour mills owners would also maintain documentary record of wheat quota received and Atta supplied on a daily basis. This data regarding wheat quota supply to flour mills and onward supply of Atta to dealers would be put on the web portal. He said that DCs were also authorized to give wheat quota to Chakki i.e. smaller wheat grinding units. Khatak said that the initiatives being taken by the Government were meant to ensure availability of wheat flour to the people at fixed price.