KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, on Thursday presided over a high level meeting on Ramazan package and subsidy issues at Chief Minister House.
The meeting reviewed overall situation of assistance to poor people and decided to give Ramazam package and subsidy worth Rs 2.5 billion, and for the purpose, 2 lac metric tonnes of wheat will be supplied by Sindh food department and the same will be grinded and 10 kg Atta bags will be provided to poor of the poorest people of the province.
According to an official handout the meeting also formed a committee comprising food, agriculture and finance department, which will finalise the distribution arrangements of package Atta in the nook and corners of the province. The chief minister directed that the distribution of the Atta be ensured on transparent manners so that the poor people could get benefit of the package. The chief minister emphasised the need to make proper and prompt measures for distribution of package item to the poor people during the holy month of Ramadan.
Earlier, Sindh Food Secretary, Aftab Ahmed Memon, in his briefing informed that the Sindh government had fixed a national target of 1.300 million metric tonnes wheat procurement, while the Sindh food department achieved 99 percent assigned target and has procured 1.291 million metric tonnes wheat. It was informed that during the year 2011, 1,291,145 metric tonnes of wheat against the target of 1,300,000 was achieved.
Highlighting the Ramazan package of 2009, 2010 and 2011 the secretary food informed that during the year 2011 the chief minister had allowed 245,000 metric tonnes of wheat for Ramazan package, and flour rate was fixed at Rs21.00 per kg in ten (10) and twenty (20) kg packing, while the issue price was fixed at Rs1750 per 100 kg bag (without cost of bag) instead of Rs 2550-00 per 100 kg bag.
The secretary food department informed that the Sindh government earlier allocated 100,000 metric tonnes of wheat in the year 2009; 2,20,000 metric tonnes wheat in the year 2010 and 245,000 metric tonnes wheat in the year 2011.Various proposals were discussed at the meeting with regard to Ramazan package – 2012 and the chief minister approved Ramazan package of Rs 2.5 billion for which flour will be provided at the rate of Rs 23.00 per kg and food department will provide 200,000 metric tonnes, while the issue price will be Rs1875 per bag.
The meeting decided that under Ramazan package, 90,000 metric tonnes wheat will be distributed in Karachi region, 35,000 metric tonnes in Hyderabad region, 45000 metric tonnes in Sukkur, 15000 metric tonnes in Mirpurkhas and 15000 metric tonnes in Larkana region. The distribution plan will be finalised within five days up to the 10th of July. – Dailytimes
