Atta crisis deepens as country faces famine like situation

[ajtr]

Re: Atta crisis deepens as country faces famine like situation

@Shamraz_Khan

More miracles of Mushrraf’s economic success. The country is facing famine like situation, yet Mushrrafs supporters keep telling us about “unprecedented economic” growth.

http://nation.com.pk/daily/jan-2008/4/index2.php

Atta crisis deepens

Naqi Akbar
LAHORE - The flour crisis erupted again with full intensity Thursday all over the country, aggravating the situation particularly in Punjab and other areas which was evident from long queues made by the people of supply centers.
The 20 kg flour bags were hardly available at the officially sanctioned price levels.
In Lahore, the asking rate was above Rs 330 per kg. The same bag was sold to NWFP based wholesalers by the Punjab millers at the rate of Rs 400 per 20 kg. In the NWFP city bazaars especially the ones in Peshawar, the bag was sold at the varying rates of Rs 440 to 500. In Balochistan, the shortage was reported from Quetta and other districts like Loralai, Mastung and Zhob. In Sindh, the situation was no different as the local mills were unable to cater to the demands of the province inclusive of Karachi where the flour was being sold at the rate above the one set by the provincial government.
As far as the situation obtaining in this behalf in Punjab and elsewhere is concerned, the market sources and the government functionaries attributed the crisis to the continued pilferage of the flour processed in Punjab and its transportation to NWFP and other provinces. There appears to be no signs of any let up despite liberal wheat input to the 400 or so flour mills in Punjab. The above mentioned stakeholders argued that with the NWFP based buyers were offering the Punjab millers a straight Rs 400 per 20 kg price tag. In view of this, there was little interest on part of the millers to sell the same to the local markets thereby causing shortage in Lahore and other areas of Punjab. The situation in Lahore remained precarious with respect of 20 kg bags availability and people were making themselves content with one kg bags of flour out of 20 kg loose bags sold to them at the asking rates of Rs 20 per kg and above.
The Punjab government sources pointed out that that the current distribution bench marks followed in the context of wheat supplies were the major cause of the problem. These functionaries maintained that while Punjab needed 120, 000 tons of wheat per day it was getting 21000 tons, while NWFP was getting 3000 tons out of its identified need of 10, 000, and Sindh was getting 5000 tons out of its need of 8000 tons. They argued that the 10000 ton collective deficit in the supply lines of the other provinces were making it imperative for the suppliers in these provinces to approach the Punjab mills.
Market observers, when asked for their comments on the situation, opined that the mismanagement on part of the federal government was creating a situation where neither the Punjab consumers were better off nor could the other provinces get what they wanted to keep the kitchens running. They described the policy hotchpotch and outcome of complete apathy on part of the government.
Market sources having established contacts with the millers for normal days supplies argued that despite the government claims having raised the daily quota of the mills since December 2007, there was little impact on the situation on ground. One wholesaler, Butt pointed out that he was getting his daily need supplies from brokers who supplied the flour bags at the rate of Rs 325 per 20 kg bag making it ‘legitimate’ for the retailers and wholesalers to resell it at the rate of Rs 360 or more to the common man knowing full well that he was ‘hard pressed’ and ready to pay any price for the staple food item.
The market sources, when asked as to why were they helpless in finding the flour directly from the flour mills, argued that the local wholesalers were no match to the dealers from neighbouring provinces like NWFP who were offering straight away Rs 400 per 20 kg bag while the local buyer was likely to be hard on ‘negotiating the price’.

Arey shukr karo kewal rs 400 per 20 kg hai india main to rs.480 per 20 kg hasi.