A helping hand: ‘Almost 1 million people to benefit from subsidy package’

K-P government allocates Rs8 billion for the provision of flour and ghee to needy families.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has announced a package for the provision of subsidised flour and ghee to those living below the poverty line in the province starting next week.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak issued the directives while presiding over a meeting at CM Secretariat, where he directed the authorities to accelerate work on the package.

K-P Minister for Food Qalandar Khan Lodhi, Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Khalid Pervez and administrative secretaries were in attendance.

Khattak highlighted the importance of launching the new scheme in the month of Ramazan and directed the continuation of the programme throughout the financial year.

He also ordered effective monitoring of the Sasta Bazaars and the overall demand and supply of essential items in the province. For guaranteeing the speedy implementation of the package, prepared lists drawn up for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) are to be utilised.

Under the scheme, needy families will be given a subsidy of Rs10 per kilogramme on flour and Rs40 per kilogramme on ghee, and an expected 0.97 million people of the province will benefit. The K-P government has allocated a fund of Rs8 billion for the programme.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2014.