Getting free ‘atta’ a big task

Rawalpindi: There was a recorded crowd here in all ‘Atta’ sale points in garrison city while Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) was jam packed with men, women, old and children they were trying to get free flour. A brigade of local management and police was fully trying to control public but in vain. The College Road from Laiqaut Bagh to Raja Bazaar was fully jam packed with needy people they were trying to get free of cost ‘Atta’ under the sticks of law enforcement agencies.

The Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chatha who was continuously visiting all sale points on regular basis told ‘The News’ that we are fully trying to provide free of cost flour to eligible people. The whole staff of local administration was busy to provide free of cost ‘Atta’ to public while police was busy to maintain law and order situation, he claimed. Several bad incidents are being reported in routine but sitting government seeing the whole drama with closed eyes.

‘The News’ interviewed different people they were trying to get free flour bags said that government should provide cheaper priced ‘Atta’ rather free ‘Atta’. If government really wanted to provide public relief, it should provide cheaper priced flour at fixed rate of Rs400 per 10-kilogram bag, public said.

Muhammad Nadeem a local citizen said that we don’t need free ‘Atta’ but needed cheaper priced flour. The system was going well when Punjab government providing subsidised ‘Atta’ bags to all. All people were getting a 10-kilogram bag ‘Atta’ at Rs648, he said. Now, getting free ‘Atta’ is a big task for public because over 95 per cent people were not registered in Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), he strongly criticized.

Shakeela Mobeen a poor lady said that my family was stopping me to go to sale point to get free ‘Atta’ bag but I am a poor lady and needed flour. I was easily purchasing subsidised ‘Atta’ from trucks but government has increased its rates to Rs1150 which was out of reach for me, she said. Several other people have appealed government to flout Rs53 billions in open market to provide a big relief package for public in the holy month of Ramazan.

Muhammad Nadeem a local citizen said that we don’t need free ‘Atta’ but needed cheaper priced flour. The system was going well when Punjab government providing subsidised ‘Atta’ bags to all. All people were getting a 10-kilogram bag ‘Atta’ at Rs648, he said. Now, getting free ‘Atta’ is a big task for public because over 95 per cent people were not registered in Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), he strongly criticized.