RAWAlPINDI      -        Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Hasan Waqar Cheema on Tuesday said that no one would be allowed to smuggle wheat and flour out of Rawalpindi District.

He informed that the administration and the Food Department Rawalpindi today conducted a raid near Motorway and foiled a bid to smuggle 37 tonnes of wheat. The administration, Food Department and district police were strictly monitoring all the exit points of the district to foil wheat and flour smuggling bids, he added. The DC further informed that the administration had distributed over one million free flour bags among the poor and deserving citizens in the district.

He said that 11 mega centres were set up in Rawalpindi district to provide free flour to the citizens, adding over 316,000 families had been provided relief under the scheme. Cheema said that the target was set for the distribution of free flour among more than 483,000 families, adding, more than 1.4 million bags of flour would be distributed in the district. The DC said that all-out efforts were being made to ensure the smooth distribution of free flour bags and added that no untoward incident was reported in Rawalpindi.

The distribution of free flour would continue till the 25th of Ramazan, he said, and informed that the administration was also taking strict action in accordance with the law against profiteers and hoarders. The administration had imposed fines amounting to over Rs 4 million on 1,325 profiteers while 318 shopkeepers were sent behind the bars for profiteering and not displaying the rate lists. The DC said 23 FIRs were also lodged against profiteers and hoarders.