Surprise checks: Four mills fined over quantity

Flour mills association threatens to go on strike if ‘unlawful’ raids by commissioner don’t stop.

ABBOTABAD: The district administration on Friday imposed a fine on four flour mills for allegedly supplying reduced quantity of flour in bags marked otherwise. The flour mill association, however, denied the accusations.

According to insiders, after receiving complaints regarding poor quality of flour in the market, Assistant Commissioner (AC) Irshad Khan conducted raids on eleven flour mills in Havelian and Sultanpur, and caught four flour mills cheating with the weight of flour.

A 20-kilogramme (kg) flour bag was found to weigh 18 to 19kgs, while 40-kg flour bags weighed 38 to 39.

Managers of Alai Flour Mills, Hussain Flour Mills, Malik Flour Mills and Mehran Flour Mills were fined Rs10,000 each for the violation.

AC Irshad Khan told The Express Tribune the raids were aimed at ensuring both quality and quantity of flour for which the consumers pay. “We will not allow anyone to cheat,” he said. He expressed his resolve to continue surprise checks to monitor factories.

Meanwhile, Hazara Flour Mills Association President Malik Khurram Salam denied the accusation, adding it is not in the AC’s authority to check the quality and quantity of flour as the District Food Controller (DFC) was already monitoring the process on a regular basis. He termed it ‘unlawful’ and warned to go on strike if the AC ever harassed flour mill owners again.

On November 22, a flour mill was sealed in neighbouring Mansehra district for selling substandard wheat flour and skimping on quantity in a raid conducted by Mansehra DFC Zamrud Khan and SHO Abdul Rasheed.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2013.