Aleem for setting up cheap flour points

LAHORE : Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has directed for setting up special sale points in eight major cities besides Sahulat Bazaars to ensure ample supply of ‘Sasta Atta’.

Chair a meeting here on Saturday, the senior minister said no tax has been levied on flour mills so far then there is no justification for increase in flour prices. He observed this while chairing a video link meeting with commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province. This meeting was held to review supply of food items and prices in the Sahulat Bazaars.

Minister Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal and Chief Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik attended the meeting while the Secretaries of Food, Industry and Agriculture Departments gave a detailed briefing on 313 Sahulat Bazaars in the province. Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Aleem Khan said that the Punjab government is giving a subsidy of Rs2 billion per month to ensure supply of Sasta Atta, (flour) to the common man. He added that a 20-kg bag of flour was sold at Rs860 and the same price should be ensured in these "Sahulat Bazaars".

He approved the design of Sasta Atta bags in the meeting.

He directed the relief given to people in the Sahulat Bazaars should also be properly advertised so that the common man could know more about these bazaars.

He directed that flour mills should be required to clearly write ex-mill and retail price on flour bags.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan has a personal interest in providing low cost food items to every citizen for which the administration in every district should ensure strict monitoring.

He directed all the deputy commissioners to go to markets themselves and take stock of the situation.

It was decided in the meeting that special sale points will be set up in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sargodha and Bahawalpur for sale of Sasta Atta.