Wheat dispute: Flour mills remain closed in protest

Mills remain closed as part of two-day strike called by the Atta Chakki Owners Association.

HYDERABAD:

Flour mills in Hyderabad remained shut on Thursday following a two-day strike called by the Atta Chakki Owners Association.

According to the association’s leader Javed Qureshi, the city’s 236 flour mills were supplied over 100,000 bags of wheat at the rate of Rs 2,800 per 100 kilogrammes up until December, 2012. However, he said that under the new policy monthly supply has been dramatically decreased to around 27,000 bags in January, which has increased prices in local markets to Rs45. Qureshi said that if the government did not budge, the association will give a call for an indefinite closure.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2013.