K-P to establish Sasta Bazaars

Four markets to be set up in the first phase

PESHAWAR:

To provide relief to the public from skyrocketing prices of essential items, the provincial cabinet on Tuesday approved a motion to establish 16 ‘Sasta Insaf Bazaars’ across the province.

In the first phase, four of these discount markets will be established in the provincial capital and two each at the divisional level. These markets will be gradually expanded to all the districts of the province to ensure that cheap and affordable items can be provided to the citizens throughout the week.

This was decided during a meeting of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Cabinet which met in Peshawar on Tuesday with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.

Deliberating over the skyrocketing prices of essential items, the cabinet deliberated over a plan to offer some relief to the public in the form of the ‘sasta bazaars’. To encourage traders at these markets to keep prices low, the government decided to provide free shops under an initiative that could cost the government around Rs100 million. Apart from providing rent-free stores, the provincial government will ensure the provision of water, restrooms, security, sanitation, and other facilities at these markets.

These markets will be run by special ‘management committees’ which will be formed to ensure better supervision of the markets and ensure availability of essential commodities.

CM Mahmood directed the K-P Planning and Development Department to immediately formulate proposals for the execution of the Chashma Right Bank Canal.

He also directed that the supply of flour at subsidised rates should be ensured.

Regarding the availability of wheat in the province, the meeting was told the provincial government is in the process of purchasing 0.5 million metric tonnes of wheat from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO).

The provincial cabinet also approved a move to increase the quantity of wheat issued to local flour mills at discounted rates from the previously approved 3,000 metric tonnes to 4,000 metric tonnes per day.

The meeting was told that the number of farmer markets set up in the province has been increased from 65 to 80.

In other sectors, the provincial cabinet approved the establishment of primary health care management committees to provide enhanced financial autonomy to basic health units, rural health centres and other devolved services in the health sector.

These committees will be headed by and include senior doctors, representatives of the district administration, secretary of the concerned village council and town municipal authorities (TMAs) along with the members from the community.

The cabinet approved the names of the board of governors for the unofficial members of the Health Foundation. It also dissolved the board of the Bannu Medical Teaching Institute for its inefficient and ineffective performance.

The cabinet also amended parts of the MTI Appellate Tribunal Rules 2020.

The cabinet also fixed the minimum rate for sugarcane at Rs200 per maund and beets at Rs180 per maund respectively for the fiscal year 2020-21.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2020.