ZAHID BAIG

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Department (PFD) under “Ramazan Package 2018” has announced to start providing subsidized flour bags in special Ramazan Bazaars and open market from Thursday (today) at the rate of Rs 250 per 10 kilogram bag and Rs 500 per 20 kilograms bag.

The Food department will release wheat to functional flour mills at the subsidized rate of Rs 800 per 40 kilogram (inclusive of bag) on the pattern of previous releases for Ramazan Bazaar as well as for open market.

Some 50 percent of flour bags of total supply will be packed in 10 kilograms bags and remaining 50 percent in 20 kilograms bags. Nevertheless, total supply in Ramazan Bazaars will be only in 10 kilograms bags.

According to sources, for 15 days total supply of subsidized wheat to flour mills will be 368,392 metric tons. Further quota will be allocated after studying the market and its requirement, the sources added, and said that the last date of supply of flour under Ramazan Package would be 27th Ramazan and the last date for release of wheat under this package would be 26th Ramazan.

The notification issued by the provincial Food department to the district administrations and food department officers further said that special green bag with black stencil of the Ramazan Package 2018 will be arranged by the flour mills in their respective area of supply both in special bazaars and the open market.

The department has also put a complete restriction on private grinding by mills getting wheat under Ramazan package, sale of value-added products - maida, suji, bran etc. However, grinding for export purpose may be undertaken and the mills have to notify in advance to the DFC/Food Authority of such grinding and its dispatched quantity. Flour mills have also been held responsible for ensuring quantity and quality of flour bags and warned of strict action in case of default, the notification added.

The circular also emphasised that the grinding of wheat will be verified by the authorities concerned on the basis of electricity consumption of 4.5 units per 100 kilograms wheat milled. Grinding on generator would not be allowed and the deputy commissioner and district food controller concerned shall keep a record of the meter reading on daily basis of the mills grinding government wheat.

District-wise break of wheat quota reveals that Rawalpindi will be having 86, 380 metric tons for the first 15 days of Ramazan, Attock will be given 15,093, Jhelum 5970, Chakwal 2,809, Gujranwala 17,356, Gujrat 5,657, Mandi Bahauddin 4,798, Sialkot 2,379.6, Narowal 1,479, Lahore-1 and Lahore-II will get 83, 594, Sheikhupura 18,840, Nankana 2,380, Kasur 4, 057, Faisalabad 13, 260, Toba Tek Singh 5, 190, Jhang 6,318, Chiniot 469, Sargodha 5,109, Khushab 798, Mianwali 1,172, Bhakkar 1,173, Multan 17,055, Lodhran 3,822, Vehari 2,964, Khanewal 3,550, Sahiwal 3,160, Okara 2,730, Pakpattan 780, DG Khan 3,940, Rajanpur 550, Muzaffargarh 3,433, Layyah 2,070, Bahawalpur 6,790, Bahawalnagar 1,950 and Rahim Yar Khan will get 31,317 metric tons of wheat.