CM orders pulling down flour prices

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, after attending a donors’ conference in Geneva, returned on Wednesday morning, held a meeting regarding flour price control and directed the food department to ensure price of flour at Rs95 per kilogramme in the open market and Rs65 per kg on subsidies rates.

The meeting was attended by Minister Food Mukesh Chawla, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, PSCM Fayaz Jatoi, and secretary and director food.

Food minister informed the CM that his department was releasing 8,000 to 12,000 tonnes of wheat daily to flourmills and wheat stocks were available to meet the province’s requirement till the end of February.

The chief minister said that if the food department was releasing enough wheat, why was the price is not controlled?

Shah categorically directed the food department to control the atta price, ensure it at Rs95 per kg in the open market, and keep providing subsidised atta at Rs65 per kg.

Giving details of the available stocks in the province, the food minister said that over 618,569 tonnes of wheat were available. He added that from the first week of March new crops would start pouring into the market and the prices would go down automatically.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to further activate district administration in controlling the prices of not only atta but other commodities such as vegetables, fruit, chicken, beef, mutton, eggs, and pulses as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2023.