Staff Reporter
Peshawar
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai Monday assured that no one was allowed to increase the price of bread at any cost in the province. Talking to media he said on the directive of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister low priced flour is being provided to bakers for avoiding price hike of bread.
The administrations throughout the province would take stern action against hoarders and artificial price hike of essential food items of daily use especially atta, he added. He also made it clear that there was no shortage of flour in the province and no one would be allowed to increase price of flour or its products.
In another statement here, Information Minister Shaukat Yusufzai said that chief minister had already directed for provision of flour to ‘nanbai’ at official rate so that masses could get roti (bread) at normal rate, therefore their strike was unjustified. He said the provincial government would not allow any increase in price of wheat flour and denied the shortage of the commodity in the province after ban lifted by Punjab government.
He said it was beyond comprehension as to why nanbais were bent upon increasing rate of rotti when the government’s offer to provide fine flour to them at lesser rates still stands. He said that this was chief minister Mahmood Khan who took timely measures which help lifted ban on flour supply from Punjab.
He said as a result of effective measures of the government, market would be replenished with adequate stock of wheat flour by this evening or Tuesday. He said that chief minister had directed to provide flour to nanbai at cheaper rate, but it seemed that strike was preplanned and they wanted to exploit the situation for personal interests.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Hazara Division, Syed Zaheer-ul-Islam Monday said that there was no shortage of flour in the region and urged upon the flour dealers to cut down the margin of profit and avoid artificial price-hike to provide relief to the poor. He was presiding over a meeting regarding the flour crisis in all districts of Hazara division at Abbottabad.
Beside, MNAs Ali Khan Jadoon, Prince Nawaz of Alai, all deputy commissioners, food controllers, traders and flour dealers attended at large. The meeting reviewed in details situation relating to the availability of four in the region. He directed that flour should not be sold through trucks in all districts of the region and establishment of fair-price shops with the cooperation of traders’ associations to sell 20 kilogram bag of flour at the rate of Rs 808.
