CHANDIGARH, JUNE 6: It is all about the missing nutrients. Faced with complaints of large-scale bungling by roller flour mills in milling of atta (wheat flour), the Haryana Government has decided to supply wheat instead of wheat flour under the public distribution system (PDS).Food and Supplies Department sources told ENS that the Government had decided "in principle" to opt for distribution of wheat in view of the illegal extraction of nutrients such as suji and maida by large roller flour mills from wheat flour. The department, which commissions private mills for milling 15,200 tonnes of wheat every month for supply to more than 43 lakh families in the State, has detected a number of cases of extraction of nutrients in Hisar and Rohtak districts in the last few months.The modus operandi adopted by "unscrupulous millers" is simple: the roller flour mills have mechanised machines with attached pipes to siphon out suji and maida from wheat flour. These are used in connivance with officials to take out nutrients in violation of the government norms. The Food and Supplies Department officials, however, maintain that roller mills have been directed to seal the pipelines meant for extraction of nutrients from wheat flour and strict vigil is maintained to prevent illegal extraction.But if the growing complaints about the quality of wheat flour are any indication, the system does not seem to have worked too well. The extent of illegal extraction can be judged from the fact that millers in Hisar and other districts had recently dropped their rates to barely 31 paise per kilogram from 70 paise per kg to bag the milling contract. "It is obvious that they are benefiting from illegal extraction of nutrients from wheat flour otherwise they would not be quoting such low rates when power costs about 24 paise per kg. We have been paying more than 70 paise per kg in other districts," observed a local officer.Food and Supplies Department officials said the decision to switch over to wheat would be implemented shortly. The department has already written to Deputy Commissioners of all the 19 districts in this regard. Haryana, which is among the few states to supply wheat flour under PDS, gets 14,500 tonnes of wheat for 5.64 lakh beneficiaries in below poverty line (BPL) category. It gets another 780 tonnes of wheat for over 38 lakh ration card holders in above poverty line (APL) category.