Confirming the development, Aleem explained that the ‘ghost’ mills are fully active only when the government releases the official wheat quota. To ascertain which mills are ‘ghost’ mills, government officials will scrutinise the past year’s electricity bills of all flour mills in the province, sources in the food department said. Under the food minister’s instructions, the wheat quota for mills found to be active will be increased and the inactive mills will be disqualified from the quota, they added. Once these ‘ghost’ mills have received wheat from the official quota, they either sell it or produce wheat in small quantities, they said. Interestingly, the food department has decided that only mills that are active members of the Flour Mills Association will be eligible for the official quota, sources said.

Source: The Express Tribune April 18, 2020 05:15 UTC