Meeting reviews Ramazan package

LAHORE : Punjab Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal Saturday reviewed various proposals to finalise Ramazan package-2019 while chairing a meeting of cabinet committee for price control.

The meeting decided to establish additional Ramazan bazaars in the province for provision of relief to common men and the utility stores would also be used for this purpose.

About 19 items would be available at subsidised rate at fair price shops in Ramadan bazaars, while the sugar mills association also agreed to provide sugar at Rs54 per kilogram. The meeting also considered a proposal to provide bag hampers to poor families at their doorstep.

The minister said the Ramazan bazaars aimed to provide relief to the poor. He said the Ramazan package was being finalised in consultation with the poultry association, flour mills association, sugar mills association and other trader unions, assuring that quantity and quality of commodities to be sold in Ramazan bazaars would not be compromised. He also directed the authorities concerned to improve market committees and make them fully functional.

“Such a mechanism will be evolved for provision of wheat to flour mills that only common men could benefit from it, and no one will be allowed to create artificial shortage,” said the minister.

He directed to finalise the payment schedule of sugarcane growers with the remaining sugar mills and Kisan Ittehad.

Provincial Minister for Food Samiullah Chaudhary said the traditional Ramadan package model continued for the last many years was not useful and we will have to take proper steps for provision of relief to common men.

Provincial Minister for Agriculture Noman Akhtar Langrial has stressed the need for fully implementation of the decisions and policies. Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bukhat, departmental secretaries, managing director of utility stores and other officers concerned attended the meeting.

Later, a delegation of Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) called on Mian Aslam Iqbal to discuss Ramadan package 2019 and provision of flour at subsidised rates. On this occasion, the minister said the Punjab government was establishing Ramadan bazaars in the whole province and the flour provided by PFMA at subsidised rates in Ramadan bazaars would benefit the common man only. Flour Mills Association agreed to provide flour at subsidised rates in Ramazan bazars.