PESHAWAR: After the sugar crisis deepened in Peshawar and per kilo price has shoot up to Rs 150, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan was informed on Friday that a consignment of 10,000 metric tons imported sugar has left Karachi port for the province.
“A consignment of 10,000 metric tons of imported sugar has left Karachi for KP. The consignment will reach the province in a matter of days. The sugar will be delivered to dealers at Rs86 per kg, which will be available in the market at Rs90 per kg,” the chief minister was informed by the officials of Food Department.
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The meeting was informed that at present sugar is being sold at Rs135 per kg in the province and concrete steps are being taken to bring down the prices. It was further told that 1000 to 1500 tons of sugar would be supplied to all the districts of the province a day which would bring down sugar price.
The Chief Minister directed the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts to take immediate action against the elements involved in sugar hoarding to avoid sugar crisis in the future. He directed to send hoarders directly to jail and punish them as per the law.
Provincial cabinet members Atif Khan, Shahram Tarakai, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Kamran Bangash, Ishtiaq Urmar, Riaz Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah and relevant administrative secretaries attended the meeting.
Flour
The meeting also reviewed the prices of government flour and informed the participants that at present government flour is available in the market at the rate of Rs1100 per 20kg. The officials claimed that they are monitoring the market to ensure the sale of government flour at the stipulated rates. “Three persons have been arrested for selling government flour at high prices,” the chief minister was informed.
But in the market, sugar, flour and petrol prices have been steadily rising while the administration is acting like a silent spectator. The price of 80 kg sack of flour was further increased by Rs600. According to market sources, the increase in flour prices was the result of the overnight petrol price-hike. The 80 kg flour sack went up from Rs5, 900 to Rs6, 500 on Friday while 20kg flour bag has increased by Rs150. Flour dealers in parts of the city including Yakatoot and Faqirabad have also started selling old stocks at new prices.