KARACHI, March 10: Wheat crisis persisted as consumers continued to suffer the effects of spiralling wheat flour prices as its price swung between Rs16 and Rs18 (atta no.2.5) since the past week.

But the Sindh Food Department still felt 'confident' that the atta crisis had not yet assumed an alarming proportion. On Tuesday, a spokesman of the provincial Food Department said: "Flour millers in Karachi are being issued wheat and there is absolutely no atta crisis in the city," adding there was no atta crisis anywhere in the province and the commodity was being sold between Rs12-16 per kilogramme.

The Sindh Food Department's claims regarding the absence of an atta crisis and low wheat flour prices do not even come close to depict the real situation, proving that it is yet to conduct a proper market survey to check the inflating atta prices, forcing the common man to procure the staple food item at exorbitant rates.

Market surveys, carried out by this correspondent, revealed that fine-quality atta prices surged to Rs18 per kilogramme and its 10-kg bag had virtually disappeared from the market. Even if it was available in some areas, shopkeepers were demanding prices ranging between Rs170-180 per bag against Rs155- 160 per bag a week ago.

The rate of No2.5 atta has risen by Rs5 to Rs6 per 10-kg bag in the past 45 days. The prices of fine-quality atta have jumped by Rs3 during the same period. The prices of a 10-kg bag of fine-quality atta showed a 24 per cent increase in the past month and a half. Its price was Rs145 in the first week of February against its present price of Rs170-180.

Wholesalers said that the price of 80-kg bag of No2.5 atta was hovering between Rs1,200 and Rs1,250 by comparison with Rs1,150 a week ago while it was selling at Rs975 on February 18.

The rate of a 100-kg wheat bag has touched Rs1,250 against its price of Rs1,200 a bag 100-kg bag only a week ago. The provincial food department had said on Monday that the government had not imposed Section 144 of the CrPC on the inter- district movement of wheat and flour mills were free to purchase wheat from anywhere in the province.

Senior office-bearers of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association while welcoming the decision, had urged the department to keep a strict watch on people who trying to stop the movement of wheat so that wheat could reach Karachi safely and help overcome crisis.

Former chairman of the PFMA Shaikh Akhtar Hussain said that the secretary, Food Department, had assured the association in this regard, saying that the department would take strict action if anyone tried to create hurdle in wheat movement.

Vice-chairman of the PFMA Naeem Ahmed Khan Malik said that the open market wheat stocks had almost exhausted while the Sindh Food Department's stocks were insufficient to last beyond the next couple of days.

PROCUREMENT TARGET: The Sindh government's wheat procurement target will be achieved, an APP report quotes Sindh Food Minister Arif Mustafa Jatoi as saying. He added that negligence in this regard would not be tolerated. He said this while chairing a meeting to review the wheat procurement situation.

SHORTAGE DENIED: A spokesman of Sindh Food Department on Tuesdaywhile referring to the closure of flour mills in the Sukkur region, said that the supply of wheat to flour mills in the Sukkur region had been stopped as the available stock of had been sealed by the Sindh High Court, adding the supply would resume after the matter was decided by the court.

The DAWN