SANGHAR, Nov 23: A flour crisis is looming in the district as wheat stocks in government godowns are about to exhaust, according to sources.

A survey conducted by this correspondent has revealed that the wheat shortage has led to an increase in flour price. Official rate of flour is Rs12 per kilogramme but it is being sold at the rate of Rs16 to Rs18 per kilogramme in the district.

About 79,000 wheat bags were received from Punjab out of which a few thousand bags have been left. Almost all the godowns in Sanghar, Jhol, Tando Adam, Shahdadpur, Khipro, Sinjhoro, Naoabad and Hingorno are empty.

Five flour mills and 327 Chakkis have received their quota. Two flour mills and 20 Chakkis, which remained closed from July to September, also received their quota of more than 25,000 bags.

On the other hand, traders are selling wheat seed at the rate of Rs700 to Rs850 per 50kg bag and that too of inferior quality and adulterated. The seed of better quality costs Rs1000 to Rs1200 per 40kg.

Wheat stocked by farmers to use it as seed has been infested by insects, borers and weevils due to lack of storage facilities. As a result, they are bound to purchase the seed from dealers.

LB POLLS: Local bodies' elections will be held in 2005 on the basis of separate electoral rolls for Muslim and non-Muslim voters. This was stated by Provincial Election Commissioner Ahmed Ali Halepoto during a visit to the district election office here on Tuesday.

He said that now the name of every woman had been written in the electoral rolls instead of referring her as wife or daughter of somebody. The provincial election commissioner further said that the voter lists had been pasted on walls of the district election offices and people could check their names.

He said that people could register their names in electoral rolls by filling the forms and submitting them with their old or computerized National Identity Cards at the district election office concerned. Earlier, he said, judicial officers scrutinized voter lists but now the district registration officers would do the job.