RAWALPINDI: The district administration on Saturday banned the supply of any wheat flour other than subsidised wheat flour in the open market, and imposed a fine on shopkeepers selling any other wheat flour in Ramazan.

Deputy Commission Talat Mehmood Gondal told Dawn the Punjab government has directed that subsidised wheat flour be supplied to the open market. The provincial government has fixed the prices of 20kg of wheat flour at Rs500 and 10kg at Rs250, but in most parts of the province subsidised wheat flour is only available at Ramazan markets and selling points.

Taking notice of the matter, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has directed the administrations of 36 districts to ensure that subsidised wheat flour is supplied to the open market.

Mr Gondal said the government has also directed flour mills to remove all other wheat flour bags, which are being sold at higher prices. He said the government wants the effects of Rs9 billion subsidy on food in Ramazan to trickle down to the public.

However, he added that the situation in Rawalpindi is different. Subsidised wheat flour noticeable because of its green bag is available in the open market as well. A survey conducted on Friday that 180 out of 288 shops were selling subsidised wheat flour.

But from June 11, `there will be no other wheat flour available in the market`, he said, adding that the price of subsidised wheat flour has been fixed and shopkeepers are not allowed to overcharge for the product.

However, it is a commonly held belief that the wheat flour supplied by the provincial government is not of good quality, and people often refuse to buy it despite the lower costs.

Most people instead choose to buy a 201(g bag at the cost of Rs860, which is sold in the market by flour mills that buy wheat in the open market. The subsidised flour sold by the government is made of its own wheat, which is provided to the mill for grinding.

Mr Gondal said the government`s supply of wheat flour is greater than the demand. `1,000 bags are supplied to each Ramazan bazaar every day, and more than 600 are sold daily. The leftover wheat flour is supplied to the open market,` he explained.