Deputy Director Food Asif Raza said that the department has suspended government wheat quota of 40 flour mills during the ongoing crackdown against flour mills in last three months. In a statement issued here on Monday, he said that as per directives of the Secretary Food Punjab Nadir Chattha, a crackdown has been started against flour mills involved in violating quota.
He said that the department has imposed a fine of over Rs 6.4 million out of which Rs 4.5 million has been recovered so far. He said that the department has issued show cause notices to 204 flour mills while suspending the wheat quota of 40 mills and suspended licenses of nine others over violations. He said that the department has set up different check-points to prevent wheat smuggling including nine at Motorways and 25 at entry and exit points of the districts of the region.
Asif Raza added that 112 metric ton wheat has been recovered from hoarders during separate raids while the teams have also recovered 195.5 metric ton wheat by foiling wheat smuggling attempts. He said that five cases have been registered against wheat smugglers while nine vehicles have been impounded and fine of Rs 20,000 has been imposed in them. He said that 112 flour mills were being given wheat quota and 1649 flour sale points have been set up across the region.
He said that Commissioner Multan Division Ashfaq Ahmed Chaudhry has directed to launch zero-tolerance policy against violators of flour quota adding that strict action was being taken against flour mills.
