HYDERABAD (March 13 2004): The office-bearers of Roller Flour Mills, small grinding units and food officials have developed a consensus on setting up a chain of flour stalls throughout the city to minimise the intensity of wheat flour crisis in Hyderabad city.

The decision was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of provincial food secretary on Friday.

Provincial Food Secretary Mir Muhammad Parhiar who arrived here on Friday following violent protest demonstration of consumers, including women and children on unavailability of flour and high price, held a meeting with consumers, retailers, and office-bearers of Roller Flour Mills and small grinding units Chakkies.

It was decided that the flour would be made available on these stalls at a price not exceeding Rs 15 per kg, which will be subject to review on daily basis with the arrival of new crop.

Parhiar said the Food Department would ensure supply of wheat, whereas the grinding units would have to ensure availability of flour to the consumers. He said the licences of those grinding units would immediately be cancelled who did not grind the supplied wheat.

Talking to newsmen the secretary said the crisis was deepened and protest demonstrations were staged owing to delay in grinding of wheat by the units, particularly the small grinding units.

He said that during the first week of the current month 10,440 bags of 100kg wheat were supplied to small grinding units, while 2,060 bags were supplied to the Roller Flour Mills, but during a survey of 60 small grinding units, 4,067 bags of wheat were found stored at Chakkies, which indicated that they withhold the stock for their own financial benefit.

He said such activities would not be allowed in future.

He said teams of food officials have been constituted to ensure sale of flour on agreed price and quality.

Later talking to Business Recorder, the provincial food secretary said that wheat shortage was there, but the shortage was blown up out of proportions, which has created a panic like situation among the consumers resulting in price hike.

He said that harvesting has started and the new crop has started arriving in the open market, while the grinding units have also been allowed to purchase wheat direct from the growers.

He said once the harvesting of wheat gain momentum the availability would be improved and prices would be normalised. He said he would sit in Hyderabad once a week to personally monitor the working of the food officials and grinding units and availability of wheat flour to the consumers.

Meanwhile, protest demonstrations over unavailability of flour and price hike continued on Friday.

The activists of Sunni Tehrik stage a protest demonstration in front of the Hyderabad Press Club demanding action against those responsible for wheat shortage.

Courtesy Business Recorder