Govt formulates strategy to thwart flour mills strike

CHAKWAL: The federal government has formulated a strategy to thwart today’s flour mills’ strike over the dispute between the Food Secretary and Punjab Flour Mills Association (PFMA), ARY News reported on Monday.

According to sources, the Punjab food department has formulated and started to implement the strategy to baffle the strike of the flour mills.

The food department directed to transfer of the wheat quota of the flour mills involved in the strike in Chakwal and Talagang district to other flour mills that are not part of the strike.

The food department provided 1,590 sacks per day of government wheat quota to the other flour mills, meanwhile, the food authorities refused to abolish truck stations for selling flour.

Earlier, Punjab Flour Mills Association announced to go on strike from Monday (today) by suspending the supply of flour across the province.

In a statement, Punjab mills association’s chairman Iftikhar Ahmad announced that the millers would not acquire wheat from February 13 and will suspend the supply of flour in the markets from February 14.

He asked the Punjab food department to table evidence against mills selling wheat, saying that his association was against such mills that were selling wheat.

The association chairman also urged the department to abolish trucking stations and establish sales points at shops for selling flour.

The association condemned the actions under the MPO against flour mills, urging the department to inspect mills as per standard operating procedures (SOPs).