|
Main Page
|
 |
|
News Channel |
|
Flour millers call off strike on minister's
assurance - Demands to be considered
KARACHI, April 29:
Flour mill owners called off their strike on
Wednesday after getting an assurance by Sindh Food
Minister Arif Jatoi that he would insist on
removal of restriction on wheat movement in Sindh
and Punjab at the provincial food ministers'
meeting scheduled for Friday (April 30) in
Islamabad.
The millowners' decision came at a meeting held in
the office of the chief secretary on Wednesday. Mr
Jatoi, as well as senior officials, sort out the
matters with a 13-member delegation of millowners.
The delegation was led by the Chairman of Pakistan
Flour Mills Association, Sindh, Haji Muneer Ahmad
Memon. The millowners in Karachi had been on
strike since Monday in protest against the closure
of seven mills and the restriction on
inter-district wheat movement.
An unsigned press release, faxed on a plain paper,
was issued from the office of the chief secretary
on Wednesday stating that the millowners announced
end to their strike on the food minister's
assurance that their demands would be considered
sympathetically.
On his part, Haji Muneer Memon said that the
suspension notice, issued to the seven mills, had
been withdrawn. He said that the millers had also
been assured by the food minister that he would
raise the issue of restriction on wheat movement
at the provincial food ministers' meeting in
Islamabad.
The press release quoted the additional home
secretary who was present at the meeting as saying
that section 144, under which the restriction had
been imposed, is enforced and withdrawn under
certain law and regulations.
The millers delegation shared its concern over
controls on wheat trade and flour marketing and
urged the food minister and chief secretary to
ensure free movement of wheat and removal of the
controls.
The Food Secretary, Mir Mohammad Parihar, who was
target of criticism by the millers during the
strike, also attended the meeting for some time.
He held out the assurance that the millers willing
procure wheat directly from farmers would be
getting an unhindered supply and the department
would monitor the process, i.e. transportation,
stocking and grinding of wheat.
Meanwhile, wheat price in retail market started
shooting up to Rs15 and Rs16 per kilogram in the
wake of the strike. There was price spurt in
wholesale market, too, where an 80-kg bag of wheat
was quoted at Rs1,000.
Anees Majeed, Chairman of the Karachi Wholesale
Grocers Group, said that a few trucks loaded with
flour arrived in Karachi on Wednesday. Flour was
also trickling in from a number of flour mills and
chakkis which had not joined the strike. At least
for the time being, the fear of panic buying of
flour and an unusual increase in retail price has
been averted.
GOVERNOR:
Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has issued directives to
the concerned officials that availability of wheat
flour throughout the province and stocking of
wheat in a reasonable quantity be ensured, adds
APP.
He called for maintaining wheat price at an
appropriate level and stressed on an effective
monitoring in this regard. Speaking at a meeting
at Governor's House here, he emphasized the need
for maximum procurement of wheat. The meeting was
attended by Food Minister Arif Mustafa Jatoi, CM's
Adviser on Home Aftab Shaikh, Chief Secretary Dr
Mutawakkil Kazi and other officials.
The DAWN
|
|
|
|
|
Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
|
|
