Ramazan relief package worth Rs5bn commences at utility stores

ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday launched a Ramazan Relief Package worth Rs 5 billion at utility stores across the country to provide maximum relief to the poor segment of society during the holy month, ARY News reported.

Addressing a press conference, Minister for Industries and Production Syed Murtaza Mahmud said that the first priority of the federal government is to save the people from hardships and inflation.

He said that the Ramazan relief package has come into force from today (March 21) and would continue till the last day of the holy month. The federal government, he said, is already providing five basic food items to the public at subsidized rates through the Utility Stores Corporation (USC).

In order to facilitate the public, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has extended the scope of the relief package by increasing the number of subsidized items to 19.

The items to be provided at subsidized rates include flour, ghee, sugar, cooking oil, tea, dates, besan, dal mash, dal mong, milk, drinks, and spices.

While giving details about the package the USC official said that to make the process of obtaining subsidy more simple and transparent it has been divided into two parts, targeted and general.

He said that the targeted subsidy will be only for the users registered under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) while the people of the entire country will benefit from the general subsidy.

Under targeted subsidy flour is available at Rs 400 per 10 kg bag, sugar at Rs 70 per kg and ghee at Rs 300 per kg. While under general subsidy, a 10 kg bag of flour is available at Rs.648, sugar at Rs. 91 per kg and ghee at Rs.490 per kg.

The USC also provides a subsidy of Rs 20 on the white gram, super basmati rice, sella rice, broken rice. Subsidy on gram flour is Rs.50 per kg and a 10% discount will also be given on spices.

A subsidy of Rs 100 per kg on tea, Rs 50 per kg on dates, Rs 30 per liter on milk and Rs 30 per bottle on beverages will be given, he added.

It should be noted that apart from flour, sugar and ghee, other subsidized items will be provided at the same rate for both general and targeted subsidy users.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also released a free flour package for the citizens of Islamabad, which is organized by the USC Islamabad District Administration in collaboration with the distribution points and utility stores established in different areas of Islamabad.

This gift of free flour is being distributed to the poor and deserving families who are registered under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).

Each registered family will get one bag of 10 kg as a gift for the first time and the remaining two bags will be received after 7 days.

During the entire month of Ramazan, 3 bags of flour (10 kg per bag) will be provided free of charge to every registered household.

Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) has already notified its registered households through SMS. Registered households do not need OTP to get the free flour bag, just show the original National Identity Card.