Keep a check on flour, sugar mills, CM tells officials.

LAHORE -- Taking notice of artificial shortage of wheat flour in different cities, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar Thursday directed action against flour millers selling wheat in the open market out of their allocated quota of food grains.

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar presided over a meeting at his office to review prices as well as demand and supply of flour and wheat along with ongoing sugarcane crushing and payments to farmers in the province.

The chief minister directed to initiate indiscriminate action against flour mills involved in the sale of allocated wheat in the open market and added that no flour mill can be

The chief minister also directed to further streamline the monitoring of exit points of different cities. 'I shall not tolerate any hurdle in the provision of flour at the suitable rate and people should not face any difficulty with regard to the provision of flour in their areas', he said.

1.5 million ton sugar reserves are available

He warned that action will be initiated in case of any complaint and the wheat procured by the flour mills from the food department must be made available in the market in the shape of flour. He ordered that hundred percent grinding of procured wheat should be ensured and this should also be regularly monitored along with submission of a report about it.

He ordered that there should be no shortage of flour anywhere in the province and directed the food department that flour mills should be bound to establish fair-price shops where flour should be available at ex-mill rate. Usman Buzdar said that the provincial minister for food should take a lead for the solution of different issues and indiscriminate action should also be taken against the corrupt elements of the food department.

Secretary food told the meeting that food department was releasing four thousand metric ton wheat to flour mills on daily basis and ample wheat reserves were available in the province. He also informed that wheat quota of flour mills, failing to abide by the rules and regulations, has been suspended and there was no dearth of wheat or flour in the province. Director Food attended the meeting while Food Minister took part in the proceedings from Bahawalpur through video link.

The meeting also reviewed the sugarcane crushing season and payments to the farmers. The chief minister was told that sugar mills were currently engaged in crushing.

'At least10 million metric tons crushing has been done and...