As flour prices surge, Sindh High Court takes notice

Petitioner says shortage in Hyderabad markets artificial.

HYDERABAD: The Sindh High Court has taken up a case concerning the hike in flour prices and artificial shortages of the commodity, which has allegedly been created by the food department in collusion with traders. A panel on Thursday has issued notices to 41 respondents on the petition filed by advocate Shahid Hussain Kondhar. The lawyer has implicated food officials in the corruption case and has asked that they be held accountable.

Kondhar pointed to the recent upsurge in flour price and asked the court to take notice of “black market practices” and implementation of the rates decided by the government.

The chief secretary of Sindh, the food secretary, the food directors of Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana regions, district food controllers of all the 27 districts, the National Accountability Board (NAB) chairman, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Anti Corruption Cell and regional taxation officers (RTOs) are among those the court has issued notices to.

“The court should order NAB, FBR, RTOs and the Anti Corruption Cell to investigate and make the assets of all food officials public,” Kondhar pleaded. “All officials should also be held responsible for failing to implement the official flour price, thereby allowing hoarders and profiteers to fleece the people.”

Hyderabad and its adjoining districts have witnessed a sharp rise in the price of flour for over a month starting early January till mid February. It was being sold at over Rs40 per kilogramme (kg) against the government rate of Rs33.50. In addition to the high prices, flour was also short in the market.

According to Javed Qureshi, president of the Atta Chakki Owners Association, the food department sold over 100,000 bags of 100 kg wheat at Rs2,800 per bag to Hyderabad’s flour mills in December 2012. However, this distribution policy was changed in January. “In January we got just over 27,000 bags of 100 kg from the warehouses of the food department, forcing us to buy from the open market on rates as high as Rs3,600 per 100 kg,” said Qureshi, whose association carried out month-long protests until their supply was doubled and flour price was reduced to Rs36 per kg.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2013.

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