By Our Correspondent
MIRPURKHAS, March 6: The flour crisis persists in the district as 'chakkis' and flour mills have not been provided with their wheat quota, leading to a rise in the flour price.

On Sunday, a protest demonstration, led by Jamil Notkani and Dur Mohammad Khaskheli, was held by residents in the Samaro town against the increase in the flour price. They demanded that the government should reduce the price of flour, which was being sold at Rs20 per kilogramme.

When contacted by this correspondent, Mirpurkhas deputy food director Salim Raza Khero claimed that sufficient quantity of wheat had been provided to 'chakkis' and flour mills. However, he said following directives of the Sindh secretary food, wheat allocation was stopped for 'chakkis' and flour mills. Claiming that there was no flour shortage in the district, he said wheat was available in godowns of the food department but it would be used during flour crisis.

All Pakistan Flour Mill Association, Sindh, vice-president and Mirpurkhas Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Abdul Sattar Chundija said a small quantity of wheat was provided to flour mills, adding that he had privately purchased wheat to meet requirements of his mill.

He maintained that if he depended on the wheat quota from the food department, his mill would be closed. Mirpurkhas Taluka Chakki Association chairman Malik Liaquat Ali and general-secretary Mohammad Hanif said the food department had not provided them with their wheat quota for the current week.

They regretted that seven bags of wheat were provided to each 'chakki' last week which were not sufficient. Reports of flour crisis have also been received from other towns of the district, including Mirwah, Digri, Tando Jan Mohammad, Jhuddo, Naokot, Samaro, Kunri, Talhi, Sofi and Shadi Palli.

VICTIMIZATION: The Scheduled Castes Federation of Pakistan has drawn the attention of President General Pervez Musharraf towards victimization of Dalit teachers in Tharparkar on the instigation of some members of the Brahmanical order.

In a press statement, the SCFP president Sadhumal Surendar Heman Valasai said schools which had produced doctors and engineers from the Dalit community were being targeted to keep the community illiterate and downtrodden.

Already, many teachers had been transferred while schools in Dalit villages and Mohallas had been deprived of good teachers to be replaced with 'ghost' teachers, he said.

The SCFP demanded that the president should order an impartial monitoring of the remnants of caste discrimination in the region and take practical steps to eradicate the injustice.

The DAWN