LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said on Saturday that for the first time in the country’s history a step had been taken to provide Ramazan hampers at doorstep of more than 6.4 million families in Punjab.
Addressing a press conference along with Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yaseen here at DGPR, she said that flour, sugar, rice, gram flour and ghee were included in Ramazan hampers.
She said that the ‘Nigheban Ramazan package’ and model bazaars were running simultaneously to facilitate the maximum number of people. She said model bazaars had been set up in 15 districts of Punjab where model bazaars were not set up previously, adding that agriculture fair price shops had been established in 25 districts of Punjab.
Azma Bukhari said that essential items were available in these model bazaars at 25 percent less rate than the open market. She said that price control magistrates were discharging their duties in field after getting training and they were being monitored through a dashboard.
Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yaseen said that there was no single complaint related to the quality of items included in Ramazan hampers. He said that vendors which were engaged by the district governments had been clearly told that if there was any complaint related to the quality of items, action would be taken against them as per law.
He said that by today 50 percent target of distribution of Ramazan hampers had been completed and the remaining would be completed by the end of the holy month. Bilal Yaseen said that before the start of Ramazan onion was selling at Rs 350 per kg and today it was available at Rs 250 per kg and in the coming days it would further reduce to Rs 200 per kg.
2.8m ration bags delivered under Ramadan package
On the directives of the Chief Minister Punjab, the provincial government is striving to provide relief to people during the holy month of Ramadan as district authorities delivered more than 2.8 million ration bags to deserving families across the province under the Nigehban Ramadan package.
These details emerged during a briefing by officials at a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman at the Civil Secretariat here on Saturday.
The meeting reviewed the provision of ration bags and price control measures. The administrative secretaries of industries, agriculture, Chairman PITB, DG Punjab Food Authority, DIG Special Branch and officers concerned attended the meeting while all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated through video link.
Officials briefed the Chief Secretary that 319,000 ration bags were provided to deserving people yesterday. They said that imported onions were available at a price of Rs.95 per kg in the 10 agriculture fair price (AFP) shops established in Ramadan bazaars in Lahore, while the sale of imported onions in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sargodha and Gujranwala would start from today.
The chief secretary said that the delivery of ration bags at the doorsteps of deserving families was a big challenge, adding that the programme was being implemented in an organized and hassle-free manner, which is unprecedented.
Expressing satisfaction over the process of ration bags delivery, the chief secretary praised the Lodhran Deputy Commissioner for achieving a 71 percent target of the provision of ration bags. He said that no compromise could be made on the quality of ration being provided under the Ramadan package, and the Punjab Food Authority should continue checking the food items.
The chief secretary also issued instructions to suspend the relevant staff for the distribution of ration bags in clusters at certain places in Muzaffargarh and Bahawalpur. He said that the number of price control magistrates had been increased for effective monitoring of prices as the implementation of price lists would give relief to consumers to a great extent. He directed Price Control Magistrates to remain active in the field and take strict action against overcharging.
The administrative secretaries of industries and agriculture gave a detailed briefing at the meeting. They said that 598 persons were arrested and 192 cases were registered for overcharging.
The price magistrates checked 72,000 places and fined Rs 7.8 million for violations. They said that on Friday more than one lac consumers benefited from the agriculture fair price shops in Ramadan bazaars, while 13 items are being sold at 25 percent less than the wholesale rates at these shops, they concluded.
