Thousands to be added

ISLAMABAD: The central government is planning to spend approximately Rs3 billion on setting up 6,000 additional utility store outlets all across the country. Meanwhile, the purchase of new vehicles and construction of more warehouses for utility stores is also being considered.

Sources said that discussions between the Ministry of Industries and Production and the Utility Stores Corporation have been completed and a summary has been forwarded to the prime minister for final approval.

The government claims that the majority of these stores will be constructed in remote areas. It has been learnt that 3,500 stores will be set up in Punjab – more than 50 per cent of the total.

According to sources, 1,000 stores will be collectively set up in Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa while Balochistan will get 300 new stores. Meanwhile, Gilgit-Baltistan has been allotted 1,000 stores. It is also planned that 100 stores will be set up in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

It surfaced that one objective of the plan to increase the number of utility stores is to provide cheap commodities to those who are on the Benazir Income Support Programme.

In order to control the unnecessary opening of new stores, the plan ensures that a minimum distance is maintained between two utility stores.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2010.