LAHORE - Punjab Minister for Industries & Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal on Tuesday presided over taskforce for price control meeting at chief minister office in which availability of flour and its prices came under discussion in detail.

He directed that the process of supply of wheat to flour mills, preparation of flour and its supply to the markets should be completely monitored. The minister said flour mills would have to prepare flour according to the wheat being supplied, adding there was no flour crisis in Punjab and surplus reserves of wheat were available.

Due to weakness of monitoring mechanism such a situation had arisen, he said and added that the government had decided to supply 500 kg subsidized wheat to the registered Chakkis of Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad and that the process of wheat supply had already started where flour would be available at the rate ranging from Rs 42 to 45 per kg, he maintained.

Aslam Iqbal said a comprehensive system should be formulated to monitor the process of provision of wheat to Chakkis. Profiteers and hoarders mafia would be defeated jointly, he maintained. He also directed to ensure supply of flour at big stores, saying that there should not be any 15 kg flour bag in the market as focus should be given on 10 and 20kg flour bags.

Commissioners and deputy commissioners should visit model bazaars and give their proposals for bringing improvements, he concluded. Provincial Food Minister Samiullah Chaudhry, Provincial Agriculture Minister Nauman Akhtar Langrial, Secretary Industries & Trade, Secretaries of concerned departments and other high officials participated in the meeting while commissioners and deputy commissioners from across the province also participated in the meeting via video link.