Ample flour stock in shops, says minister

Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yaseen has said that the business sector should cooperate with the government to provide relief to the people.

According to officials, he said that facilitators of profiteers and hoarders deserved no leniency. He said that during the last 24 hours, 629 flour mills, dealers and shops had been checked.

Bilal Yaseen said that 128 places had been checked in the Lahore division, 64 in Faisalabad, 30 in Sahiwal, 80 in Rawalpindi, 74 in Sargodha, 40 in Multan, 38 in Bahawalpur, 88 in DG Khan, 42 in Gujrat and 45 in Gujranwala.

He said the supply of flour was strictly monitored on Sunday. The Punjab Food Department had imposed a fine of Rs470,000 besides issuing warning notices to profiteers and other violators, he said.

Sufficient stock was available at retail shops and in wholesale markets in Lahore and other big cities of Punjab, he added.

He said increasing the transportation of wheat in markets helped to reduce prices. People should lodge their complaint on toll free number 080002345 against those who were illegally selling flour and Roti at high rates, he said.