NWFP Governor Lieutenant General Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai (Retd) has directed for preparation of a complete plan of action to establish a reasonable network of utility stores in all the tribal agencies and frontier regions of Fata to enable the respective people to derive the fruits of the incentives being provided in the shape of cheap essential edibles by the government.
Speaking at a high level meeting which beside others was also attended by the Managing Director of Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan Brigadier Hafeez and Secretary to Governor, Arbab Muhammad Arif at Governor's House here on Wednesday, the governor said, price hike is an international phenomena and our country is also being suffered because of it.
However, he added, we must have to make suitable and immediate arrangements to help the people of all the tribal agencies and the frontier regions to have easy access to the essential edible items of daily use on comparatively cheaper rates, like elsewhere in the country.
In this connection he further desired that till the establishment of permanent utility stores, all the respective political agents and the heads of frontier regions in collaboration with the respective authorities of utility stores corporation of Pakistan should make immediate arrangements to ensure the availability of mobile utility stores at the central places of their respective administrative units within a week time. Simultaneously, he further desired that proper arrangements should also be made for establishment of at least one utility store in each agency on permanent basis before ensuing Ramazan-ul-Mubarak.
The governor also desired that there should be two utility stores in Kurram and Aurakzai agencies, one each at Parachinar and Sadda as well as Ghiljo and Kalaya respectively right from the beginning, keeping in view their geographical nature. As far as other tribal agencies are concerned, one utility store will be established each at Bara in Khyber Agency, Miranshah in North Waziristan, Wana in South Waziristan, Ghalanai in Mohmand and Khar in Bajaur agency. This, he added, should be a phased programme, which must have to be expanded with the passage to time to enable the maximum population of the respective areas to avail benefits of the policies of the present government.
The governor also directed all the political agents of the agencies, who would be responsible to successfully run the utility stores in their respective agencies to fully cooperate with the utility stores corporation in this connection. He further desired that there should be effective, unhindered and transparent arrangements for ensuring supply of eatables especially the sugar, ghee, pulses and flour to the consumers in accordance with the prescribed rates of the government through the proposed utility stores.
Meanwhile during a meeting it was decided that though in the beginning, the utility stores would be established at central places of all the tribal agencies yet mobile stores would also simultaneously start functioning.
Similarly vehicles and staff would be managed by the utility stores corporation of Pakistan for this purpose and their accounts would be properly maintained in accordance with its prescribed rules and regulations. Moreover, it was also decided that the corporation would also establish warehouses at suitable places to ensure unhindered supply of goods for this purpose.
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