KOHAT, April 7: Flour crisis again surfaced in different parts of the province after the increase in support price of wheat announced by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.

In Kohat, the local administration fined three flour dealers and six ‘tandoor’ owners for overcharging and low weight of bread during raids in the city on Monday.

After receiving complaints, district coordination officer Kamran Zeb directed district revenue officer Saeed Kahttak to check the rates and weight of flour and bread.

The revenue officer, with the help of police, conducted raids in different parts of the city and arrested three flour dealers and six tandoor owners and sent them to a lockup.

However, the local bazaar union president, Abid Paracha, approached the DCO for release of the arrested dealers.

Assistant coordination officer Mudassar Riaz Malik, who later visited the city police station, released the arrested people after fining the flour dealers Rs3,000 each and tandoor owners Rs1,000 each.

He also convened a meeting of the bazaar union at his office for fixing the rate of flour and weight of bread on Tuesday.

Talking to Dawn, the flour dealers alleged that they were being cheated by mill owners and influential hoarders.

It is learnt that mill owners of Kohat and Hangu have been smuggling flour to Afghanistan through unfrequented routes and selling 20kg bag for Rs600 in the local market. Mills owners, with the alleged connivance of police, smuggle 30 trucks every night through Shaheedano Dhand, Khapianga and Gayman Pul routes to Afghanistan.

LAKKI MARWAT: Taking notice of flour shortage, district coordination officer Amer Latif banned transportation of flour from the district.

The DCO asked law-enforcement agencies to ensure checking of vehicles on the districts boundaries with other districts and tribal territories and launch a crackdown on elements involved in flour smuggling.

Presiding over a meeting at his office here on Monday, he said efforts would be made to provide flour to people at official rates.

Assistant coordination officer Syed Khalid Israr Shah, local authorities of the food department, representatives of MPs, nazims, and officials concerned attended the meeting.

The participants claimed that employees of Utility Stores’ outlets were also involved in selling flour bags to local shopkeepers and traders.

The DCO said special committees would be formed at the union council level to monitor the process of providing flour to people at the official rate.

He said flourmills would be brought under the monitoring system in order to get exact information on the quantity of flour and its delivery to dealers.

He asked the officials concerned to pay frequent visits to bazaars and markets to monitor prices of flour and other edibles items.

MANSEHRA: Like other parts of the province, flour prices in Mansehra shot up manifold soon after the increase in support price of wheat, it is learnt.

A survey of the market by this correspondent revealed that the price of 40kg bag had increased from Rs750 to Rs950.

Due to the sudden rise in rates of flour, hoarders lifted the flour stock from the market to earn more profits, which created a shortage of the commodity.

The provincial food department increased the quota of 20 flour mills in the Mansehra district two months ago to overcome the crisis but mill owners are not running their units, worsening the situation.

Mohammad Adnan, the sole bread earner of his family, told Dawn: “It seems that following the recent increase in flour prices, my family will sleep with taking food. I cannot afford to buy flour at such a high rate.”