By Riaz Khan Daudzai
However, the list received by the USC outlets shows that no further subsidy has been offered on main items like sugar, flour, rice, red beans, basin and pulses.It was learnt that the sugar supply to the USC outlets in the provincial metropolis has been doubled for the last two days.
Hakeeullah Khan, manager Peshawar Region-North, told The News that the province was divided in to two zones — Abbottabad and Peshawar — and 14 regions to cater to the need of the consumers.
He said about 805 outlets were operating in the Peshawar Zone, which was further divided into seven regions, namely Peshawar-South, Peshawar-North, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Bannu and DI Khan.
Similarly, about 642 outlets were operating in the Abbottabad Zone, which was also divided into seven regions - Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat, Mansehra, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit and all the regions of the two zones had been directed to implement the Eidul Azha package announced by Sultan Mehmood, general manager, USC in Islamabad. He said that sugar supply to the outlets in the two regions was also raised by 50 per cent ahead of Eidul Azha. All the 1,447 outlets across the province, Khyber and Mohmand tribal agencies will offer the Eid package for two weeks.
Mehtab Binori, manger, Region-South, said only the sugar supply was not enhanced, but its distribution had also been reviewed and community was being involved in the distribution process.
He said due to the delicate security situation in the provincial metropolis, it was feared that the long queues of sugar seekers might become soft targets, therefore, the distribution of sugar in some localities was being reviewed.
The official said the chit system was being adopted on experimental basis in Nauthia locality from today where elders of the area were being engaged in the sugar distribution process.He said it would make the distribution process more efficient and transparent and the elders would issue the chit to locals for sugar in advance so that chances of duplication and corruption could not arise at all.
The official also referred to the package and said that the prices of about 404 items were reduced from 10 to 15 per cent while the reduction of prices would remain effective till December 4.
Under the package, the prices of some edibles were reduced by 5 to 10 per cent. The price of the 5-kg super basmati rice had been reduced from Rs320 to Rs310, broken basmati rice from Rs160 to Rs150 per 5-kg, utility tea from Rs310 to Rs291, Talu ghee from Rs623 to Rs605 per 5-kg, Dalda ghee from Rs670 to 655 per 5-kg, Manpasand ghee from Rs580 to Rs566 per 5kg, Dalda cooking oil from Rs675 to Rs657, Planta cooking oil from Rs675 to Rs657, Manpasand cooking oil from Rs588 to Rs574, Needo milk (1000gm) from Rs381to Rs370, Everyday milk (1000gm) from Rs338 to Rs330.
The prices of spices, including turmeric, coriander powder, clove, white zeera and utility jams and pickles, garam masala, etc, have also been brought down by 8 to 10 per cent.