The Food Department Rawalpindi and district police foiled 19 bids to smuggle 6123 wheat, fine flour (Maida) bags, 40 tons wheat flour and arrested 22 accused.
According to a district administration spokesman, the authorities of the food department along with Potohar Division police conducted raids in different areas and rounded up 22 accused on recovery of 6123 wheat, fine flour bags and 40 tons wheat flour during last seven days.
He informed that the accused were trying to illegally ship out wheat, flour and Madia out of Rawalpindi division.
He said that Rawalpindi District Food Department was ensuring supply of nearly 37,000 wheat flour bags on daily basis in various markets and bazaars across the district as 74 wheat flour sale points were set up in different areas of the district to facilitate the citizens and ensure regular supply of the flour on subsidized rates.
He said all the flour mills of the district were directed to supply 500 each subsidized wheat flour bags weighing 10 kg to the citizens daily.
He said the district administration teams were also monitoring the supply of wheat flour and action in accordance with the law was being taken against the violators of the order.
In line with the directives of the district administration, the food department had launched a crackdown on flour mills which were not providing the required quota, he added.
The food department was taking action against hoarders and those involved in the cartelisation of wheat causing a price hike as we have a surplus of agricultural commodities in the Rawalpindi division, he added.
He said, the Food Department Rawalpindi and district police on the directives of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi were strictly monitoring all the exit points of Rawalpindi district to foil wheat and flour smuggling bids.
The spokesman said that all the exit points of Rawalpindi division were being monitored 24/7 to control wheat smuggling as the administration had set up 14 check posts at exit points of the four districts of the division to check wheat smuggling.—APP
