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The News
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Residents faced immense problems in getting atta here on Tuesday as it was not available at any retail shop or Utility Stores Corporation (USC) outlet. Even trucks, which the district government used to arrange for supplying atta to people at controlled rate, were nowhere to be seen.
The twenty-kilogram atta bags were not available anywhere even at the price of Rs360 for last two weeks. However it was available at USC outlets and trucks arranged by the district government. But there was no atta at any USC outlet or retail shop here on Tuesday.
People were seen purchasing atta from chakki owners in the city at Rs500 for 20 kilograms. The city administration did not take any positive step to resolve the problem being faced by people.
District Price Control Committee Chairman Haji Jamal told The News on Tuesday that the government has enough wheat stocks to control atta crisis in the country. He said that the government released 40-kilogram wheat bags at Rs625 against Rs500 to flourmills on Tuesday.
According to him, shopkeepers and wholesalers have enough stocks of atta but they have been waiting for an increase in price. Atta prices would be increased and a meeting between the government and owners of flourmills is going on, he said.
He said that atta crisis would persist for 15 to 20 days or until the new crop reaches the market. Atta would be available in the open market but at higher rates of Rs400-Rs410 for a 20-kilogram bag. Naturally, the district administration trucks and USC outlets would also increase atta prices, he added.
The crop-cutting season would start after rains. In some parts of Punjab, including Sialkot, Faisalabad, Daska and Gujranwala, farmers have started cutting the crop and it would be completed in two weeks, he said.
Shahnaz, manager of a USC outlet in Mareer Hasan, told The News that atta supply was stopped to them for one week due to its acute shortage. She said that customers were coming in large numbers to USC outlets to get atta but in vain. Atta prices would be increased in USC outlets in two or three days, she said.
There is no atta in my house. I borrowed it from my neighbour for a one-time meal, Rashida Usman, a resident of Kamalabad, told The News on Tuesday.
She said that atta shortage is the result of governments wrong planning. She said that hoarders and profiteers wanted to sell atta at very high rates. The city administration failed to ensure atta supply to people, she added.
Imran Shaukat, a resident of Bagh Sardaran, asked where a poor man would go in this situation. There is a famine-like situation in the country even in the democratic set-up. The new parliament could not take positive steps rather they raised prices of items of daily use. After February 18, inflation rate had increased and people could not get any relief, he said.
He said that it was the responsibility of the government to provide every item of daily use at controlled rates and lame excuses of the government would serve no purpose.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Residents faced immense problems in getting atta here on Tuesday as it was not available at any retail shop or Utility Stores Corporation (USC) outlet. Even trucks, which the district government used to arrange for supplying atta to people at controlled rate, were nowhere to be seen.
The twenty-kilogram atta bags were not available anywhere even at the price of Rs360 for last two weeks. However it was available at USC outlets and trucks arranged by the district government. But there was no atta at any USC outlet or retail shop here on Tuesday.
People were seen purchasing atta from chakki owners in the city at Rs500 for 20 kilograms. The city administration did not take any positive step to resolve the problem being faced by people.
District Price Control Committee Chairman Haji Jamal told The News on Tuesday that the government has enough wheat stocks to control atta crisis in the country. He said that the government released 40-kilogram wheat bags at Rs625 against Rs500 to flourmills on Tuesday.
According to him, shopkeepers and wholesalers have enough stocks of atta but they have been waiting for an increase in price. Atta prices would be increased and a meeting between the government and owners of flourmills is going on, he said.
He said that atta crisis would persist for 15 to 20 days or until the new crop reaches the market. Atta would be available in the open market but at higher rates of Rs400-Rs410 for a 20-kilogram bag. Naturally, the district administration trucks and USC outlets would also increase atta prices, he added.
The crop-cutting season would start after rains. In some parts of Punjab, including Sialkot, Faisalabad, Daska and Gujranwala, farmers have started cutting the crop and it would be completed in two weeks, he said.
Shahnaz, manager of a USC outlet in Mareer Hasan, told The News that atta supply was stopped to them for one week due to its acute shortage. She said that customers were coming in large numbers to USC outlets to get atta but in vain. Atta prices would be increased in USC outlets in two or three days, she said.
There is no atta in my house. I borrowed it from my neighbour for a one-time meal, Rashida Usman, a resident of Kamalabad, told The News on Tuesday.
She said that atta shortage is the result of governments wrong planning. She said that hoarders and profiteers wanted to sell atta at very high rates. The city administration failed to ensure atta supply to people, she added.
Imran Shaukat, a resident of Bagh Sardaran, asked where a poor man would go in this situation. There is a famine-like situation in the country even in the democratic set-up. The new parliament could not take positive steps rather they raised prices of items of daily use. After February 18, inflation rate had increased and people could not get any relief, he said.
He said that it was the responsibility of the government to provide every item of daily use at controlled rates and lame excuses of the government would serve no purpose.
