Utility Stores’ dealers demand resumption of supplies to Malakand

TIMERGARA: The franchised dealers of the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) of Pakistan in Malakand Division on Saturday demanded the prime minister and minister for industries and production to resume supply to their outlets in all districts of the division.

The demand was made during a meeting of the USC franchised dealers from Lower and Upper Dir, Swat and Malakand districts, with their divisional president Ikramullah in the chair.

Speaking on the occasion, Ikramullah, Sajjad Muhammad, Umar Ghani, Hazrat Rahim, Sajid Khan and others said that about 40 franchised outlets of USC were operating in Malakand division. They said that after the PTI government’s decision of suspending operations at the USC, the warehouses at Balambat in Lower Dir, Rahimabad in Swat and Chitral had no commodities for supply to them.

They said the USC franchised outlets were profitable places that purchased commodities after submitting bank drafts. They said that thousands of consumers benefited from these outlets but the government halted all kinds of procurement, resulting in the joblessness of many youth.

The meeting participants said the government should improve the services at USC, rather than turning people jobless. They said that low income and salaried class were getting daily use items from the outlets on subsidised rates as compared to the open market.

The meeting participants demanded the government, especially adviser to prime minister on industries and production to reverse the decision of suspending operations at USC and its franchised outlets. The participants also threatened to stage a protest sit-in in Islamabad if the demand was not accepted.