Officials told to redress complaints about flour distribution

CM warns against delay in verification, issuance of bags

LAHORE:

Several citizens seeking free flour under the Ramazan Relief Package complained to Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday about non-verification of their CNICs, low speed of the system employed for the purpose and being asked to return to the distribution point on later days.

During the caretaker CM’s visit to a free flour distribution centre in Samanabad, some recipients complained of having been told to collect then bags after one or two days.

The caretaker CM took strict notice of the complaints and directed the commissioner and deputy commissioner of Lahore to immediately resolve the issues. He also expressed indignation over giving the beneficiaries later dates to collect the flour.

He warned that such behaviour was not acceptable.

He directed the officials concerned to provide flour to the eligible beneficiaries present in the centre during the same day.

The caretaker CM inspected the CNIC verification counters and assured the citizens of immediate solution to their problems. “I am personally monitoring the package and the whole provincial administration has been activated to serve the beneficiaries,” he said and added that there had been some problems in the beginning but he had issued orders to solve them.

The Punjab Information Technology Board and NADRA have been asked to improve the CNIC verification process, he said and added that the provincial ministers had also been directed to submit reports after visiting the distribution centres.

Addressing a news conference separately, the caretaker chief minister said the supply of free flour had begun throughout Punjab and thousands of centres had been set up for the purpose.

He said about 100 million people from 15.8 million families would be given 30 kilogrammes of wheat flour free of charge during Ramazan in the province. Around 474 million flour bags will be distributed under the scheme.

“I appeal to people to show patience in case of a rush. All efforts are being made to provide flour to all the eligible citizens who come to the centres and in the next few days the rush will reduce and everyone will get flour as this package will continue throughout the holy month,” he added.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2023.