Subsidies: Elahi announces federal govt’s Rs2b Ramazan package

LAHORE:

The federal government has approved a Ramazan package worth Rs2 billion and subsidies on 14 commodities, Senior Federal Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi told managers of Utility Stores at a conference on Sunday.

Elahi, the former chief minister of Punjab, also announced that Utility Stores would remain open for longer during Ramazan. He assured the managers from Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir that their concerns would be resolved soon.

Elahi said that MNAs and MPAs would visit the Utility Stores during Ramazan to make sure that goods were being sold at the approved rates.

He told the managers to set up tents outside the stores so that customers queuing up outside would get some protection from the sun.

Federal Secretary for Industry Aziz Ahmad Bilour, Advisor to the Prime Minister Raja Basharat and Federal Service Tribunal Member GM Sikandar also attended the conference at the State Guest House.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2011.