ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday said some 4.2 million people had so far received sacks of free wheat flour under the Ramazan Package launched by the government to reduce burden of inflation on lower-middle class and poor people.
Addressing the media persons, the minister said so far, free flour sacks were distributed among more than 4.1 million people in Punjab, while some 72,000 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 20,000 from Islamabad had benefitted from the “historic and unprecedented” scheme on the very first day of its launch in these areas.
She said all was set for starting the free flour supply in Giglit Baltistan, while efforts were also underway to replicate this initiative in other parts of the country including Sindh and Balochistan.
Marriyum said data of the Benazir Income Support Programme was being used to distribute the free flour sacks in a transparent manner. The prime minister had categorically stated that there would be no compromise on quality of the edible and transparency in the distribution process.
She said the prime minister had a track record of pursuing the best governance model to execute people-centric projects.
Whether it was related to flood or any other emergency, the PM himself had led from the front and always personally monitored the services being offered to the people in such critical times, she added.
The prime minister himself paid surprise visits to flour distribution centers in Kasur and Lahore to ensure uninterrupted supply of quality flour, she said, adding more visits were on the cards in the coming days.
She said during his visits, the prime minister had held interactions with women children, and persons with disabilities who were sitting in the waiting areas to wait for their turn. The PM also issued directives to the officials concerned to resolve the complaints of the people visiting the flour distribution centers.
Free distribution of flour reinforced the fact that Shehbaz Sharif had not only served the masses while being the chief minister of Punjab, but also continued that journey on becoming prime minister of the country, the minister maintained.
“Launch of the Sasta Petrol (Subsidized fuel) and Muft Atta (Free Flour) schemes are the historic and unprecedented initiatives and it is the only Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz which can take such steps even during the difficult times,” she said, while lambasting Imran Khan for first signing the agreement with the International Monetary Fund on tough conditions and then violating the same for political gains which caused the economic meltdown and inflation.
She said the PML-N always worked for people-friendly initiatives such as metro bus, employment and scholarship schemes.
Marriyum said when PML-N tenure ended in 2018, edible items related inflation was only 2.4 per cent which jumped to above 20 percent as soon as Imran Khan came into power.
In 2018, flour was available at Rs 35 per kg whereas sugar was at Rs 52 kg.
She said that the looters who came to power in 2018, looted and plundered the national exchequer with both hands and they were responsible for the flood of inflation in the country.
The minister said poor people would soon get subsidized fuel as modalities had been finalized in this regard.
