USC to get Rs 1 billion subsidy as Ramazan package: National Assembly informed

The government will provide Rs 1 billion subsidy in the shape of Ramzan package to the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) for supplying essential items at cheap rates to masses. This was announced by Advisor to the Ministry of Industries and Production while responding to a question in the National Assembly, here on Wednesday.
He said there is no specific proposal to increase the supply of cooking oil, sugar, rice, dry chilies and flour in the utility stores throughout the country.
"Normally the quantity of items to be supplied to each store depends on the demand by these outlets. However in Ramzan, keeping in view the increased demand of essential items, the supply of these items at stores would be increased," the advisor said.
He disclosed that during Ramzan almost 1,500 new utility stores would be opened in August throughout the country as the government has set a target of 6000 more stores.
While responding to a question, Housing and Works Minister Haji Rahmatullah Kakar told the House that the record of government owned accommodation was burnt in the Lal Masjid incident and the compilation of the record is under way.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Minister for Tourism said that according to the State Bank of Pakistan, the revenue generated from the tourism sector during 2006-07 was Rs 16.89 billion including foreign exchange earnings.
"Balochistan is not restricted to tourists except for certain areas where the clearance of the security agencies is required for foreigners," the minister said.
He lamented that due to deteriorating law and order situation in the country and the anti-poor policies of the previous government have discouraged the foreign visitors.
Marvi Memon objecting to this response of the minister said that the government is resorting to blame game while during the last 4 months sectarian violence has increased manifold.
"There have been 250 bomb blasts, 409 killing whereas 71 incidents of sectarian violence have been recorded so far during this period," she said.
The education minister told the House that the Higher Education Commission has adopted a systematic process of reforms. "A total budget of Rs 33.766 billion has been allocated to the HEC for 2007-08 including the recurring grant of Rs 15.766 billion and development grant of Rs 18 billion," the minister said.
He further said that 53 scholarships under Cultural Exchange Programme of the Ministry of Education remained unutilised from 2003-06.
"A total grant of Rs 509.342 million was released to the federal government universities during last quarter of the last fiscal year including recurrent grant of Rs 161 million and development grant of Rs 347.637 million," the minister said.