CM orders crackdown on hoarders.

KARACHI -- Keeping in view the artificial wheat shortage in the province, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah has ordered a crackdown on the elements storing the grains.

He was presiding over a meeting held here at the CM House on Monday to review the situation arising out of the wheat shortage and increasing price of flour.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Minister for Food Hari Ram, Minister for Agriculture Ismail Rahu, Advisor to CM Murtaza Wahab, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Food Laiq Ahmed, Secretary Forest Raheem Soomro and others.

The chief minister said that he had reports that some traders had hoarded wheat in their godowns, resulting in increase in wheat prices in the market. 'We can't leave poor people of this province at the mercy of hoarders,' he said, and directed the chief secretary to start operation against the hoarders. 'Whichever force, police or Rangers, the authorities require to arrest the hoarders must be provided to them,' he ordered.

Briefing the chief minister, Food Secretary Laiq Ahmed said that as on Jan 13, 2020, 405,938.549 tonnes of wheat was lying in all the six regions of the province.

Giving breakup of the stock, he said, '10,374.333 tonnes of wheat was stored in Karachi, 24,948.0 tonnes in Hyderabad, 1615.336 tonnes in Mirpurkhas, 58,524.593 tonnes in Shaheed Benazirabad, 179,709.477 tonnes in Sukkur, and 130,766.810 tonnes in Larkana. Out of which, the food department has released 35,805.607 tonnes of wheat.'

The chief minister was told that as on Jan 13, 2020, the flour price was Rs43 per kg in all the regions.

The chief minister said that out of around 300,000 tonnes of wheat, which was still lying in the godowns of the food department, the provincial government...