Hyderabad chakki owners reject Rs12,500 wheat issue price

The Hyderabad Atta Chakki Owners Social Welfare Association has expressed discontent over the Sindh government's decision to raise the wheat issue price for flour mills and chakki owners to Rs12,500. The association, led by President Haji Mohammad Memon, Vice President Abdul Farooq Rathor, and General Secretary Haji Najmuddin Chohan, decried the increase as a "bomb on the poor" and warned of its adverse effects.

They argued that the move would exacerbate inflation and push up the retail price of flour, especially for already struggling consumers. The office-bearers noted that hoarders had already begun to capitalize on the situation, driving the market price of wheat up from Rs13,100 to Rs14,300 per 100kg. They contended that the Rs4,500 increase per 100kg bag undermined the "roti, kapra aur makan" promise made by PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and "broke the back" of consumers.

The association claimed that the government had previously acknowledged a subsidy on wheat but failed to deliver on that promise. They called for the chief minister, food minister, and chief secretary to reconsider the issue price and revert it to Rs8,000 per 100kg. Additionally, they urged the government to address the rising market prices, retrieve hoarded wheat, and reintroduce it into the market to alleviate consumer suffering.

They emphasized that rising wheat prices, coupled with already high fuel costs, could lead to widespread unrest among the populace.