LAHORE: The Punjab government has announced a new wheat distribution policy to ensure a consistent and fair supply of flour across the province, along with an increase in the official prices of flour and roti.
Under the new framework, flour mills and chaki units will get government wheat at Rs 3,000 per maund, but only those who are operational through electricity consumption records will be eligible. Any inactive or closed mills will no longer be eligible to receive government-supplied wheat.
The government has officially fixed the price of a 20-kg bag of flour at Rs 1,810 and a 10-kg bag at Rs 905. Moreover, the price of 100 grams of plain roti has been fixed at Rs 14 across Punjab to provide relief to the public and stabilize the market.
Officials believe that the release of government wheat will help restore private sector supply, which was affected earlier. The Punjab government’s legal experts have also prepared an intra-court appeal to clarify previous court decisions and ensure implementation of the new policy.
The Punjab Food Department said that the new plan introduces a hybrid system, under which flour mills will procure wheat from both government and private sources. Currently, traders and mill owners have a large stock of wheat, which is purchased from farmers at around Rs 2,000 per maund.
According to a government spokesperson, Punjab has ample wheat reserves, and cooperation between flour mills and authorities will ensure continuous supply of flour and price stability across the province.
