Flour millers to go on strike

KARACHI: Protesting against the harassment of two mill owners by local government officials, flour millers in Karachi have decided to close down their units from Thursday for an indefinite period. Chairman Pakistan Flour Mills Association (Sindh Zone) Chaudhry Ansar Jawed said that Commissioner Karachi took action against two flour mills which was followed by incidents of harassment by the local government officials. “Prior to deciding to go on indefinite strike, we met Commissioner Karachi Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui and asked him to resolve the issue amicably but the meeting remained inconclusive,” Jawed informed. He said the local government and millers have been in conflict as Commissioner Karachi was forcing millers to sell wheat flour at Rs33 per kg, a rate that millers find not viable when wheat was being sold at Rs35.50 per kg in the open market. He added that the government officials were not ready to assess the situation objectively. Jawed said that the association may also engage flour millers of interior Sindh to close down their operations. Karachi has 80 mills while another 85 mills are located in interior Sindh. He said many mills in Karachi have started shutting down their operation from Wednesday besides suspending deliveries of flour in the markets. In summer season, the consumption of flour is estimated at 150,000 tonnes per month which crosses 190,000 tonnes per month in winter season. He said the association has been pushed to take the extreme step at a time when demand of flour usually rises ahead of Eid ul Fitr. He demanded an apology from the Commissioner for harassing millers and their staff.