100 Rangers versus 36 flour mills in Faisalabad
FAISALABAD, Jan 13: Over hundred Rangers personnel will start monitoring flour supply at mills in the district on Monday (today) to ensure that the millers don’t indulge in hoarding or sell the essential commodity at inflated rates in the market, however they wont have any special powers to conduct raids on black marketers or to arrest them, sources told Dawn on Sunday.
According to the sources three Rangers personnel will be deputed at each of the 36 flourmills in the district. Rangers personnel would also escort wheat from godowns to mills and from mills to distribution points, they said.
However, they would not arrest any hoarder or carry raid at any mill even if informed of such malpractice. If they find any illegality, they would inform the district government instead of taking action against the culprits, the sources added.
Senior administrative officer Liaqat Ali Chattha told Dawn the Rangers would assist the district government in overcoming the flour crisis.
Besides the deployment of Rangers, Mr Chattha said the government had also increased wheat quota for the district which, he hoped, would facilitate the masses in getting trouble-free flour supply.
As far action against the hoarders was concerned, only the magistrates appointed by the government had the necessary powers, he maintained.
HUNGER STRIKE: Anjuman-i-Tajran city secretary-general Mehmood Jutt, along with some councillors and traders staged a hunger strike camp at the Clock Tower intersection against the unavailability of flour.
He said despite being informed of acute flour shortage in union council 265, the district nazim, district coordination officer and food department took no steps to ameliorate the situation.
He said people of the area had no other option but to purchase the commodity at exorbitant rates from the market.
The hunger strike started at 10am and terminated at 4pm. The participants said they would continue the protest until they get smooth flour supply in the area.
GUNNED DOWN: Three motorcyclists on Saturday gunned down a woman in Chak 223-RB, D-Type Colony police precincts, “for pursuing a case in the court”.
Shahida Perveen of Chak 202-GB, Samundri, was gunned down when she was on her way to the court to attend the hearing of a case she had filed against her former husband Khalil Ahmed of Jehangir Kalan. She died at the scene and her assassins fled.
Police registered a murder case against accused Jameel, Aslam and Ahsan and charged Khalil Ahmed with abetting the murder.
No accused was arrested till Sunday evening.