KARACHI - The Sindh government has decided to increase the retail price of flour from Rs33.50 per kg to Rs34.50 per kg. The Sindh Food Department will provide wheat to flour mills on subsidised rate which will sell flour at ex-mill price of Rs33 per kg while the flour will be sold at Rs34.50 per kg on retail to the consumers and the people. This was decided in a meeting chaired by the Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah about increasing the price of flour here at the Chief Minister Secretariat on Wednesday.  The meeting was attended among others by Sindh Food Minister Mir Nadir Ali Magsi, Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Chief Secretary Raja Abbas, Principal Secretary to CM Siddique Memon, Additional Chief Secretary Finance Arif Ahmed Khan, Secretary Food Aftab Ahmed Memon and others.Qaim took serious notice of increase in prices of flour in the province and said that this trend of illegal profiteering, unauthorised hoarding and disposal/sale of wheat on excess prices to any other country cannot be tolerated at any cost.  He warned the traders, businessmen and salesmen to refrain from increasing the price of flour and said that the provincial government had decided to provide subsidy of Rs68 crore for two months on wheat so as to provide flour on reasonable rate to poor people of the province. Qaim added that government machinery at all levels will ensure control of flour price in the province. The chief minister directed all the deputy commissioners of the province to ensure provision of flour on subsidised rate of Rs34.50 per kg to people and all out efforts and measures be evolved to follow and implement the decisions in letter and spirit.He further directed that special magisterial teams be formed to have constant vigilance on supply of wheat and flour, and supply of flour to the people on price fixed by the government. It was decided that those retailers, traders and businessmen, who will violate the decisions and directives, will be dealt accordingly. It was decided that stern action will be taken against the violators.Earlier, Secretary Food Aftab Ahmed Memon informed the meeting that there is total stock of 6,80,239 metric tonnes wheat available with the Food Department. According to break up, there is stock of 73,507 tonnes of wheat in Karachi Region, 95,977 tonnes in Hyderabad, 3,52,123 tonnes in Sukkur, 78,097 tonnes in Mirpurkhas while there is a stock of 80,534 tonnes of wheat in Larkana Region. He informed that during December 2012, the price in open market for 100kg bag was Rs3,100 to Rs3,150 per 100kg while the government issued price of 100kg bag was Rs2,800 while in open market, the price of 100kg bag wheat is Rs3,160 to Rs3,480.