Rawalpindi: Sunday (today) will be the last day of the free ‘atta’ campaign, thanks to the sitting government for providing free flour to only 2 to 3 per cent of people. At least 27 beneficiaries of the drive and 11 on-duty government servants fell unconscious due to hot weather here at different distribution points on Saturday.
The eleven government officials who were controlling the crowd here at different sale points became unconscious facing dehydration. Town Officer (Regulation) and In-Charge Atta Sale Point near Moti Mehal Noshia Afzaal told ‘The News’ that they were trying to control the public. “We are continuously making announcements that ‘atta’ has ended but people are not going back to their homes. “Some of my staffers became fell unconscious due to dehydration,” she said.
At least 11 people, including women, had died while trying to get free flour from government distribution outlets in the province in recent days.
‘The News’ interviewed the residents of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad in which majority of people called it a ‘flop show’ of sitting government. They also said that it was not only a ‘flop show’ but a ‘bloody experience’ of sitting government because the poor got free flour at cost of their ‘lives and self-respect’. The majority of ladies said that they felt ‘disrespect’ while standing in long queues and in crowds but we are helpless before poverty.
Shazia Ramazan, a housewife said that she got three ‘atta’ bags of 10-kilogram, but at cost of ‘respect’. “I have four children and my husband works in a private company. It is difficult to fulfil the requirements of bread and butter therefore I came here to get free flour,” she said.
Neelum Ghafoor, another housewife said that it was better to provide us food items through a ‘ration card’. We could easily purchase necessary items from common shops through ‘ration card’, she said. Government should think that we are human beings, not animals but who will think of us in this famine-like situation, she bemoaned.
Rizwana Khalid, another lady said that she was standing in the long queue since morning. It was difficult to come here at Atta sale points fast but we did not have any other choice except to stand in long queues under scorching heat, she said. There was no subsidized ‘atta’ (green bag) here in open market shops. A 15-kilogram ‘Atta’ bag was available in open market shops at Rs2,650 which we could not afford, she said.
Muhammad Saqib, an old citizen said that we don’t need free ‘atta’ but cheaper priced ‘atta’ in open market shops. Thanks God, Sunday will be the last day of the free ‘atta’ campaign. It might be possible that subsidised 'atta' will once again be available in the open market, he said.
Muhammad Yasar a poor man said that we will be happy if the government flouted Rs53 billion in open market shops to provide relief to the public on all items. The advisers of the sitting government should think about it because pictures could also be displayed in all shops if the government provided relief in open market shops, he said.
The officers of local administration will also take a big sigh of relief at the ending of the free ‘Atta’ campaign on Sunday (today). The whole staff of local administration was busy in the distribution of free atta. The local administration neither established any kind of ‘Ramazan Sasta Bazaar’ nor took any kind of action against profiteers and hoarders in open market shops during the holy month.