960420

Chakki-owners threaten

strike if wheat quota

not restored

HAFEEZ SHAIKH

HYDERABAD: The Chakki-owners of Hyderabad have threatened to shut down their Chakkies (grinding mills) if wheat quota for the month of April 1996 was not supplied to them within 24 hours.

Speaking at a joint news conference at the Hyderabad Press Club here on Saturday, the office bearers of Chakki Owners Association Hyderabad complained that the Deputy Director Food, Hyderabad had stopped wheat supply to Chakkies for the last 25 days on the plea that the approval had not been granted by the concerned secretariat in Karachi.

This said that they had verified the matter, and had come to know that the approval had been granted by the secretariat as far back as April 2, but the Deputy Director Food had hidden this fact from the Chakki owners.

On the contrary, they alleged, the Deputy Director Food had supplied wheat to a few of his favourites between April 4 to April 14 at the old rate (Rs 452.50 per bag) instead of the prevailing rate (Rs 485 per bag).

They said that a delegation of Chakki owners had met the Secretary and Director Food in Karachi and apprised them of the excesses of the Deputy Director Food and the Rationing Controller who had called for the explanation of the Deputy Director through the section officer, but there was no response from him.

They regretted that, instead of increasing the wheat quota, it was being decreased with the passage of each day although the population had increased manifold.

They said, Hyderabad was the only region where the information about wheat supply was not available notwithstanding the fact that, in Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Nawabshah, the total monthly quota of Chakki owners was made public every month in writing by the local deputy directors food.

They demanded of the Food Department that, like all other cities, supply to the Chakki owners should be given separately and they should not be left at the mercy of the Deputy Director Food.

They further demanded that wheat should be supplied as per the list provided by the association to ensure the judicious distribution of quota.

They said that since the Chakki owners of Hyderabad were being meted out step motherly treatment and a conspiracy was being hatched to deprive the citizens of basic food item, they were forced to announce the closure of all Chakkies if the wheat quota for the month of April was not supplied to them within 24 hours.

They also called upon the government to take notice of the activities of Deputy Director Food and the Rationing Controller who were trying to create schism between the people and the government to restore the confidence of the public.

Those who spoke at the news conference included Haji Nawab Ali, Shabbir Ali, Abdul Hafeez and others.