Rs4b Ramazan flour subsidy okayed

Punjab cabinet approves purchase of 3.5m tons of wheat

LAHORE:

The Punjab cabinet has approved a Rs8 billon Ramazan package for the current year, including Rs4 billion subsidy on flour during the month.

The 10kg flour bag would be sold for Rs450 in Ramazan bazaars with the government providing Rs4 billion in subsidy. Similarly, 13 food items would be provided in the bazaars at the rates of the previous year.

The 1kg sugar bag would be sold for Rs10 less than the market price. Chicken would be available at Rs10 less per kg and eggs Rs5 per dozen.

The government will set up 317 Ramazan bazaars, including 30 in Lahore, 19 in Faisalabad, 16 each in Rawalpindi and Gujranwala and 12 each in Kasur and Bahawalpur.

The special markets would be set up across the province a week before the beginning of Ramazan, where agricultural fair price shops would also be established to provide eatables to the people at affordable rates.

The markets will serve as Eid bazaars after the 20th of Ramazan. The cabinet also approved in its meeting the wheat procurement policy 2022-23, aimed at purchasing 3.5 million tons of wheat at the rate of Rs2,200 per maund.

The procurement target would be enhanced if needed.

The cabinet decided to strive to effectively curtail illegal transportation of wheat.

An eight-member provincial committee was also formed to procure wheat. Committees will monitor the procurement process at different levels. Temporary staff would also be hired for the purpose.

The provincial cabinet decided to hand over the administration of four nationalised missionary schools to the United States Presbyterian Church.

It approved the acts for new universities to be set up in Attock, Toba Tek Singh, Rajanpur, Hafizabad, Pakpattan, Gujranwala, Taunsa, Kamalia, Layyah and Dera Ghazi Khan.

The new universities can set up sub-campuses only in their districts.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2022.