HYDERABAD (January 27 2004): Acute shortage of wheat and flour persisted throughout the province as the loot and plunder by flour mills poised to earn an extra profit running into millions continued at the cost of provincial exchequer and the consumers.

The residents of Karachi and urban Sindh are paying the highest price in the country for the most essential food item - wheat flour - by paying Rs 100 to Rs 150 extra on each 80-kg bag as a result of imprudent policies of the food department, which had withdrawn the limit of extracting maida, Suji, and super fine flour for commercial purpose.

This has not only aggravated the situation, but also has negative impact on the quality of wheat flour.

The flour millers taking advantage of the withdrawal, had started extracting 20 percent maida, 20 percent super fine flour, one percent Suji and 10 percent bran thus only marketing 49 percent residual of the wheat flour.

The wheat supplied to them on subsidised rate to common consumers and the rest is being sold to cater to the needs of bakeries, sweet meat shops, hotels and Tundoors on extremely high rates, resulting in the poor quality of wheat flour sold to general public.

According to the food department sources, the millers had given an undertaking during their meeting with the managers of the food department that they will supply quality flour in open market at the rate of Rs 880 per 80-kg bag, but it has been observed that most of the millers are marketing their product at the rate of Rs 975 to Rs 980 thus charging Rs 100 extra on each 80-kg bag.

Despite the arrival of Passco wheat to flour scarcity areas of the province, the department failed to streamline price structure, which is maintaining high profile.

When the matter was reported to the Sindh food and agriculture minister, he said: "To ensure availability of wheat flour, at the price fixed by the state, was the responsibility of the district governments." But the fact remains that the district government had no control on demand and supply and fixing the price of wheat flour, nor has it any authority to grant license for trading in food grains.

It has been reported that the federal government and even the President's Secretariat have expressed displeasure over the inefficient working of the Sindh food department, which resulted in posting of a new provincial food secretary.

The new Sindh food Secretary has no doubt had made strenuous efforts to avert the wheat crisis, and succeeded to some extent, but it seems he is handicapped by the frequent interference and inept and inexperienced food officials (under him) posted on political considerations, who, instead of taking effective measures, are awaiting the arrival of imported wheat, to normalise the situation.

Courtesy Business Recorder