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B'stan faces food, fuel shortage

RECORDER REPORT

QUETTA: In Balochistan' people are facing acute shortage of food and fuel to ward off, ongoing wintry, snowy and rainy weather. Reports from the interior received here on Saturday said that there was wheat flour riot at Loralai, resulting in injury to eight wheat flour seeker government prescribed rates. The Loralai administration had arranged for the sale and supply of 300 bags of Atta. A posse of 20 levies and policemen was present at the site.

To purchase 300 bags of atta, 3,000 poor, needy and destitute buyers turned up. The levies and police failed the check the crowd. The buyers who raided the truck load of atta, were beaten back by police. The buyers stoned the police and the levies wounding several of them. But the administration succeeded in snatching the atta load truck from the buyers and resumed its distribution from a club. Then again the atta buyers climbed up the walls of the club, which collapsed, causing injury to another four buyers including a woman. All the wounded were rushed to the hospital for indoor and outdoor treatment, leaving their families without atta for the day.

Well-informed sources said then the supply of atta was suspended. Sources added that the government claims for sufficient stock of wheat and wheat flour but there is deplorable lack of fair distribution system.

Sources suggest rationing of essential items including atta for the consumers with immediate effect.

There are long queues of atta seekers in Quetta, Zhob, Loralai, Killa Saifullah, Chaman, Pishin, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Turbat, Panjgur, Gwadar and Pasni.

Another shortage is of fuel; LPG cylinders, charcoal, steam coal and firewood in the areas having no Sui gas pipeline. The prices of essential items mostly kitchen items have also shown upward trend following delay in the supply of these items to markets due to foul weather.

Similarly, the patients are also facing shortage of most of the life saving low priced drugs which disappeared from the open market because of dilly dally tactics adopted by majority of foreign pharmaceutical firms operating in Pakistan.

A national pharmaceutical firm, Zafa, has, however, brought in, certain drugs and medicines for sale and supply to the patients at affordable prices here and elsewhere.