Rawalpindi flour mills to observe strike on November 15

LAHORE: The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) has announced to observe a strike in the Rawalpindi division from Monday, November 15, 2021.

The association has convened a meeting of mill-owners on Tuesday for devising the future course of action in the wake of the condition of lifting 25 per cent of the allocated wheat quota from other districts.

“[The] mills in Rawalpindi Division have stopped lifting wheat quota from southern Punjab due to high freight charges. As such, flour will not be supplied in Rawalpindi-Islamabad on Monday.”

“We will convene a meeting in Lahore on the following day to review the situation caused by the condition of lifting 25 per cent of the allocated quota from far-flung areas. It is not possible for the mill-owners to sell flour at the government’s fixed price after spending huge amounts on transportation of wheat from southern Punjab,” said Asim Raza, PFMA Punjab chapter chairman.

The prevailing scenario would lead to the shortage of flour in the twin cities, he added.

“The government should understand that mills could not spend Rs350/wheat bag on transportation. The mills will need to increase flour price by Rs80/bag. The only solution is the provision of wheat quota to mills from the godowns in respective divisions,” he said, adding that PFMA could extend the strike to the entire province if the issue was not resolved.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Punjab Food Department, has said that there was no shortage of wheat anywhere in the province.

“As per the policy, [the] mills are bound to lift 25 per cent of the quota from other districts with surplus wheat. [The] majority of mills are lifting wheat according to [the] allocated quota. Few mills have refused to lift wheat from other districts and started propagating a flour crisis. No one will be allowed to press for the demands by creating artificial shortage.”

“The department will ensure uninterrupted provision of wheat to [the] mills as per the allocated quota and wheat policy,” he added.