Grocers stop sale of subsidised flour

Citizens form long queues outside shops and stalls to obtain commodity

RAWALPINDI:

Grocery merchants across the district have stopped the sale of government-subsidised flour due to not earning any profits on its sale, sparking a severe flour crisis in the Rawalpindi district as the price of wheat and flour reaches the highest level in the country’s history.

The government has stopped the supply of cheap flour to tandoors across the district due to which tandoor owners have increased the price of bread, naan and paratha.

Long queues of women, children and men have started forming outside shops and stalls to get the cheap flour which is of poor quality due to its milling from blackened wheat.

Sources said the cost of a 10kg bag of government-subsidised flour has been increased from Rs648 to Rs1160, while a 20kg bag of private flour has been increased to Rs3160. The price of wheat has also been increased from Rs2300 to Rs3900 per 40kg, they added.

Meanwhile, the flour mill owners have increased the price of flour to Rs170 per kg.

Salim Pervaiz Butt, the president of the Grocery Merchant Association, said that the price of a cheap subsidised flour bag of 10 kg has been increased to Rs1160 and its ex-mill price has been fixed at Rs1140.

“Loaders charge Rs5 per bag for loading while flour dealers charge Rs20 per bag as delivery charges to deliver the flour from mills to the shops. Thus, we get a flour bag for Rs1165 inclusive of all charges,” he said.

“Are we mad to take a bag worth Rs1165 and sell it for Rs1160?” he lamented. “Therefore, we have now stopped the sale and purchase of cheap flour throughout the district,” he added.

Shafiq Qureshi, the president of the Naan-Bai Association, said that the supply of cheap flour has been stopped to all tandoors across the district, while the price of a 79kg bag of red flour has been increased to Rs11,300 and a bag of fine flour has been increased to Rs11,900.

“The price of commercial gas cylinder for tandoors have been increased to Rs13700. For this reason, the price of red roti has been increased to Rs30, roti to Rs35, naan to Rs40 and paratha to Rs60,” he said.

“If flour becomes more expensive in Ramazan, the price of roti and naan will increase by Rs5 more,” he added.

Raza Ahmed Shah, the central leader of the Flour Mills Association, said that wheat is now being sold to the mills at Rs3900 per 40kg, so the prices of flour have been increased.

“Around 16 cheap Ramazan bazaars in Rawalpindi district will be functional from Wednesday [tomorrow]. Every cheap Ramazan bazaar will be set up in a canopy. Entry to these cheap markets will be from a walk-through gate. Every cheap market will have separate stalls for free flour, cheap flour and cheap sugar,” he said.

“Allotment of stalls in each bazaar has been completed. Instructions have also been issued to all the stall holders to set up the goods at the stalls this evening. Duties have also been assigned for security to police and the civil defence personnel,” he added.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2023.