MANSEHRA: The food department has almost doubled wheat quota for millers with officials declaring it a move to prevent flour shortage.

The development comes following talks between representatives of the Flour Mills Association and highups of the food department.

Association president Bashir Awan told reporters here on Saturday that the food department had notified the wheat quota increase.

He said Mansehra district`s daily wheat quota had gone up from 1,500 tons to 2,850 tons.

Mr Awan said flour shortage could hit Hazara division in particular and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in general due to the last month ban by the Punjab government on wheat movement, he said.

The association president said the sale of subsidised flour would also increase af ter wheat quota hike.

The residents complained that flour price had hit an all-time high with a 20kg bag selling at Rs1,830 against the old price of Rs1,600.

MAN KILLED: A man was killed and his two children suffered critical injuries early on Saturday when the roof of their house in Batdarian area here caved in due to heavy rains.

The neighbours shifted the injured to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital,where the doctors pronounced family head Mohammad Moazzam, 45, dead and referred his daughter, Sidra Bibi, 12, and son Sabeel, 10, to the Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad, where their condition was stated to be out of danger.

Also in the day, a man was found dead in his house in Dub area here.

The police handed over the body to the deceased`s family after the doctors of King Abdullah Teaching Hospital completed medicolegal formalities. They later began investigation to ascertain cause of death.