HYDERABAD, Dec 18: Atta Chakki Owners Social Welfare Association has accused Food Department of distributing wheat injudiciously as roller flour mills are being supplied more while chakki owners facing discriminatory treatment resulting in flour crisis.

Speaking at the press club here on Tuesday, Association’s President Haji Nawab Ali, Senior Vice President, Mohammad Hanif Rajput, Vice President Haji Mohammad Memon, General Secretary Haji Mohammad Hafeez and others said for last 50 years, chakkis are supplying nutritious flour to 90 per cent of population.

They said roller mills supply flour after extracting Suji and fine flour which purges the commodity of vitamin they said adding despite this, chakki owners are discriminated.

They said population is increasing rapidly, and in 1991-92 around 112 chakkis of Hyderabad received 130,000 wheat bags which now stand at 100,000 bags.

Mr Ali said this is injustice with chakkis and the people, alike. The Food Department on the protest of chakki owners showed the generosity by increasing four bags per grinding stone from 41 to 45 which gets done in just two days, he said.

He said roller mills are being supplied about 10,000 to 15,000 bags per month yet the situation can not be brought under control.

Flour stalls set-up by the Department are in fact Show Stalls, Mr Ali said adding this is a ploy to hoodwink the government and people as a very little quantity of flour is available. He said flour produced by roller mills is priced at Rs155 per 10kg bag but with the connivance of Food Department officials which now is hiked to Rs160.

He feared after Eidul Azha, the situation may be further aggravated as flour will not be available to people.

Mr Ali urged the government to take measures for overcoming impending flour crisis by directing Food Department to stop injudicious wheat distribution.

To a question he said since no wheat is available in the market, chakki owners seek towards government for supply.

When his attention was drawn to Food Department’s announcement that they are issued challans for two weeks in advance, Mr Ali said this is to deceive the government and people as wheat is not available in godowns and challans nothing more than just a piece of paper.

He claimed if 100 bags of wheat per stone are supplied to chakki owners, flour crisis will end within three days.