KARACHI (February 12 2004): Flour mills in Sindh have withdrawn their ultimatum to pull down their shutters. The millers took this decision after a meeting with Provincial Food Minister Arif Mustafa Jatoi on Wednesday.

A ten-members team, headed by the Chairman of Flour Mills Association, met the Minister and apprised him about the problems of wheat shortage.

The Minister, on the request of the Association, agreed to consider their proposal to share the wheat allocated to the Association members with those 23 flour mills whose quota was withheld due to charges of hoarding and non-grinding of wheat.

Quota of those 23 mills will not be released but, on the request of the Association, the quota allocated to the remaining mills in Karachi might be shared by the Association with the under-observation mills till the completion of the inquiry against these mills.

The Minister told the Association members that this may be allowed but certain conditions may be imposed such as asking the Association to provide the complete schedule of grinding of these mills so that the Department may verify the process of grinding in the mills through surprise visits and inspections and posting of vigilance staff in these suspect mills.

During the meeting, the delegation members made some complaints about non-co-operation of officials of Food Department.

The Minister said that performance of the Food Department staff was being evaluated and he would take stern disciplinary action against those found guilty of any misconduct or corruption.

He urged the delegation members to inform him, directly, about any non-co-operation or lethargy of the Food Department staff.

The delegation members assured the Minister that no complaints of overcharging and hoarding would take place in future and the Association would extend full co-operation to the Department in ensuring availability of atta to the consumers at the fixed ex-mill rates.

Courtesy Business Recorder