PML-Q Govt responsible for Atta crisis: Survey
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—According to the latest survey of Gallup Pakistan, 66% of a National Sample of respondents from the rural and urban areas of all four provinces says they have lately faced difficulties in obtaining atta (flour) for their daily consumption. The remaining 34% said they are not facing any difficulties.
Price hike is the most frequently cited reason by 57% of those claiming difficulty in obtaining flour for daily food needs. This is followed by other reasons such as poor quality cited by 13%, standing in queues to buy it cited by 10% and simple unavailability cited by 18%. The remaining did not provide any answer, according to the Survey.
Sixty two percent of all respondents hold the previous government responsible for the crisis. The remaining blame it on traders and flourmill owners 27%, growers 5% and miscellaneous 6%. The respondents were also asked their view on whether the crisis was a shortage created by conspiracy or a real shortage. Views were divided on this. 42% believed it was a real shortage, while 58% said they vied it as a conspiracy.
Fifty nine percent of a national sample of respondents in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan opined that they expect higher prices of oil to severely affect their personal lives. Another 36 % believed it would have some effect although not severe. Only 5% believed the higher prices of oil will not affect their life.
The sample for the survey comprised 1664 men and women distributed in the rural and urban areas of all four provinces. They represented a cross section of various age, income and other socio-economic backgrounds. The fieldwork was conducted face to face during April 20-21. The error margin in this kind of survey is estimated to be +- 3-5% at a 95% confidence level.APP/ National —- Senate-NFC-Dar
Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar told the Upper House of the Parliament that the decision about National Finance Commission (NFC) Award can be taken by the government at the political level and his ministry was responsible for its implementation. Replying to a point of order raised by Senator Kamran Murtaza,he said it was unfortunate that since 1973 only two NFC awards were announced.He said that present interim award has been announced for five years period and the government has to take a political decision to reopen it.
He said that Balochistan province has taken an overdraft of Rs 19 billion from the State Bank and the Finance Ministry would fully cooperate with Balochistan for rescheduling of payment of overdraft paid to them. He assured that Balochistan was dear to him and he has already directed for restructuring of the overdraft in soft-term. He said that overdraft was not the fault of the newly-installed provincial government but the legacy of the previous government.