PESHAWAR: The price of wheat flour soured in across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) up to Rs300 in the market following ban on inter-provincial movement of wheat.
Provincial chairman of Pakistan Flour Mills Association, Naeem Butt, said that Punjab government has not yet issued any official notification of suspending wheat and flour supply to KP.
However, he said, the local administration in Punjab has stopped supply vehicles at various places for the past one week due to which the prices has increased.
Butt informed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needs 12,000 tons of wheat daily, of which 7,000 tons is being provided by the provincial government while 4,000 tons of flour and wheat are supplied from Punjab Province.
Thus, he said, there is several thousands of tons of wheat and flour shortage in KP because of lack supply from Punjab.
Naeem Butt furthered that the KP government has been informed to raise the issue with the Punjab and federal government otherwise; the prices will increase in coming days.
He informed that the price of 80 kg sack has gone up by Rs350 while 20kg bag increased from Rs1350 to Rs1550 in Peshawar and other districts. The price of 20kg bag of superfine flour has increased from Rs1, 400 to Rs1, 600.
According to Naeem Butt besides other issues, the prices have increased because due to restrictions imposed by Punjab authorities on wheat and flour supply to KP.
The price-hike of basic commodities, including flour, has further increased the worries of common men. They accused the KP government of failure to control inflation.
On 11 January, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan directed the deputy commissioners to keep check on the markets to stop the artificial shortage of essential commodities.
Chairing a meeting regarding the food prices in the province, the chief minister were informed that there sufficient wheat stock available in the province.
Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Flour Mills Association chairman Sabir Bangash along with other officials, told a press conference that the January 18 strike had been postponed on government assurances till 30 January. Bangash said that the government has sought to resolving the issues of flour mills in the province.
Bangash said that the government had been asked to increase the wheat quota to flour mills according to the population.
He added that the government has also been asked to resolve the issue of fuel price adjustment in electricity bills but the government has so far provide only assurance.
