BAHAWALPUR, Jan 24: The district government has provided flour bags at the 18 sale points for the deserving families selected under the chief minister's programme as well as the general public.

The decision to provide 20-kilogram flour bags to the public at these points has been taken to redress complaints about shortage of flour in the open market.

A food department official told Dawn that the general consumers would be able to purchase flour at Rs208 per bag from these points, nine of which were located in different parts of the city.

Earlier, these sales points were meant for only the deserving families, which were registered and issued coupons to purchase flour at Rs170 per bag.

However, the woes of consumers, who want less than 20kg flour at one time, continues. They have demanded that flour should be made available in the market so that they can easily purchase it according to their need.

APCA CHIEF: The district president of the All Pakistan Clerks' Association has threatened that clerks will observe strike from tomorrow (Monday), if the transfer orders of Apca office-bearers are not cancelled.

Speaking at a gathering of low-grade staff here on Saturday, Fakhrur Rahman said the office-bearers were being victimized, iterating that their transfers should be stopped.

Meanwhile, the criminal cases instituted against APCA workers by the irrigation chief engineer, Bahawalpur, last year have been discharged by court.