Pindi mill owners increase flour price by Rs5 per kg

Citizens say substandard quality flour available in market

RAWALPINDI:

Mill owners have further increased the price of flour to Rs5 per kilogram in three weeks in violation of the government’s notified rate.

The Rawalpindi deputy commissioner had fixed the rate of the essential commodity at Rs58 per kg, however, the suppliers did not comply with the orders and jacked up the rate to Rs85 per kg.

The citizens are compelled to purchase the flour at high rates from mills, which, according to them was of inferior and substandard quality.

The Rawalpindi deputy commissioner had fixed the rate of the flour, sold at flour mills, at Rs58 per kg, however, the mill owners have increased the price by Rs5 instead to Rs85 per kg from Rs80.

A consumer, Muhammad Aqeel, said prices of dailyuse commodities go up every day but nobody was there to regulate prices.

He said that flour was an essential commodity while the quality available in the market was extremely low.

He said that the citizens try to purchase the flour directly from the mills, however, the owners have fixed their own rates.

Aqeel said they were purchasing expensive flour from mills contrary to the claims of the government, adding that the administration was nowhere to be seen in a highly-populated city like Rawalpindi.

He said that wheat flour was not available at the official rate despite the deputy commissioner’s notice.

He demanded action against the flour mill owners. When contacted, the Rawalpindi deputy claimed that mill owners were supplying flour in the local market at Rs 1,075 per 20kg while its rate in the open market was Rs 1,100.

He claimed the registered flour mills were selling flour at Rs58 per kg and any kind of change in the notified rate would not be tolerated.