204 Flour mills are involved in creating a flour crisis, Food Department

LAHORE: A report submitted to the Lahore High Court by the Food Department revealed that at least 200 flour mills were involved in creating a flour crisis in Punjab.

The department also announced the introduction of software from January 27 for real-time monitoring of the movement of flour.

A copy of the report reveals that there are 14 flour mills in Lahore division, 8 Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Sahiwal divisions, whose licenses were suspended after confirming their role in the crisis.

Apart from the suspension of licenses of 28 mills from December 1, 2019, the wheat quota of 176 was also withheld, while a total fine of Rs 5 crore 62 lakh was recovered from the units involved in the flour crisis, the report said.

It claimed that the culprits responsible for the flour problem are often associated with influential political figures, some of whom are also in the government.

The Punjab Food Technology Board (PITB), in collaboration with the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), has launched a real-time floor monitoring software, Flour Ledger Management Information System, which has been operating in Lahore on the test core since January 27, said a senior food department official. And by the end of February, this system will be spread all over Punjab.

The report alerted the court that Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan demanded not to buy or reduce required wheat, contrary to the goals set by the federal government during the 2020-2019 season. Was caused by pressure on.

It was revealed that last season, the Sindh and Balochistan governments did not buy even a single grain of wheat, whereas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa purchased only 77,000 tonnes of wheat instead of the target of 300,000 tonnes.

The report said that another factor is the profitable exports of private traders due to the depreciation of the rupee.

It said that in June 2019, the price of wheat in the open market had started rising soon after the purchase campaign for 20-2019.

The report claims that the Punjab government started releasing wheat from government stocks in August to stabilize the market, feeling the pressure on the market.