Govt to set up fair price food shops

LAHORE: Punjab government has decided to set up model fair-price food shops for providing relief to the poor.

Initially, vegetable fair-price shops will be chosen under the model and the pilot project would be launched from Lahore, Multan, Sargodha, Rawalpindi and Toba Tek Singh. Under the proposed model, selected shopkeepers would be provided with Rs30,000 monthly salary along with an option of 5 per cent profit on sold items.

This decision was made in the second meeting of the committee set up on the instructions of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for providing relief to the poor by decreasing the prices of essential items. The meeting was chaired by Provincial Minister for Trade and Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal.

The meeting agreed on the model of setting up fair-price food shops. This programme would be given final shape after consulting the stakeholders in a meeting which would be held today (Saturday).

Mian Aslam Iqbal said that the shopkeeper would sell the items chosen by the government on government rates. He said digital price boards would be installed in the shops and effective price monitoring system would be devised. In the second phase, ration card scheme will be reviewed for providing relief to the low-income families.