Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. PHOTO: ASIM SHAHZAD/EXPRESS
LAHORE:
With Ramazan commencing in less than two months, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced a Rs5 billion-package for the holy month, reported Radio Pakistan on Sunday.
Speaking in Lahore, the chief minister said that that wheat flour would be available to the public at cheaper rates as part of the Ramazan package.
In addition, 360 bazaars will be established across the province.
In 2013, the government had unveiled a Rs2 billion Ramazan relief package, through which 13 essential items were sold on subsidised rates and 1,500 items on reduced rates through Utility Stores.
COMMENTS (15)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
plz give them worke not free food ,job that we need it ,if we have good job we can effort almost every thing,lowest pay should be 15 to 20 rc.
....this is nothing but cheap publicity at the peoples expense.......because in the end the people will pay through increased taxes and prices that will be instituted to pay back the loans taken by this government and so thoughtlessly used,
Good move by Shehbaz Sharif.
So, the rural dwellers won't have vets and agricultural officers available in this period, because they will be deputed on selling vegetables like last year :(
I salute Shehbaz Sharif. His work for education and health should be appreciated.
is it from your personal pocket or from the taxes I paid?
Bravo Shehbaz Sharif. He is the best CM. I am from KPK. Kindly appoint Shehbaz Sharif CM of KPK.
Well assuming Punjab population to be 130 million. This bail out package of 5 billion for Ramzan will cover 38 rupees per head. Thanks to the chief minister for my 38 rupees...!!!!
This is an excellent step of the provincial governemnt and other provincial governments need to wake up and follow it. Hello tsunami in KPK?
ET did not mentioned that it was only for Lahore. Because in every PML-N Gov. the entire Punjab's budget is for Lahore only.
@Chachoo: Flour is the most essential food, especially for the poor (the rich prefer pizza). How the sugar prices were brought down from 140 to Rs60/ kilo. The same food is eaten during Ramazan, but why the same is costly during the year. Make flour cheap and let the government nationalize all flour mills, since there is also a flour mafia.
We don't have democracy in Pakistan, we have elected kingdom. Instead of giving free bees like metro, lap tops, subsidies, and cash handouts, please focus on basic governance; education, health, water, electricity. Please think long term, our politicians are short sighted and think till the next elections only. Its a pity that we get fooled by those gimmicks and keep electing the same kings.
These guys won't even spare the holy month to promote their gimmicks.
If this amount spent on building schools, it would change the life of millions of children permanently for better. But politicians are more interested in winning/buying votes for next elections.
Rather than giving the subsidy kindly control the prices first. Giving subsidies at the current prices only strengthen the price control mafia. Why Nawaz Family and Sons co. government dont ask the floor mills that when the 40 Kilogram wheat price is around 1200 Rupees in the open market then how come a 40 Kilogram floor costs more than 2500 Rs ???. Who is benefiting from this price hike ??. Who is controlling those prices and how come processing increase the cost of Floor by more than 100 percent???
Also why Poultry products are tax free while other products are not tax exempted in Punjab??. Who is benefiting from Tax free Poultry business in Punjab ???