Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif has said that poor, destitute and deserving people are fully benefiting from the supply of "Sasta Atta" which is being provided to them at one-third less than the market price in various Ramazan bazaars and trucking points.
He said that through improvement of administrative affairs, maximum Atta would also be provided in Ramazan bazaars for maintaining its smooth supply in the last ten days of the holy month. He stated this while presiding over a meeting regarding monitoring of Ramazan bazaars, supply of essential items and their prices at Chief Minister's Secretariat, here on Thursday.
Shahbaz said that elected representatives, monitoring teams and administration had played a commendable role in ensuring supply of Sasta Atta and other quality essential items at the fixed rates to the deserving people in Ramazan bazaars. He directed that arrangements should be further improved to provide relief to the masses in the remaining period of Ramazan. He said that service to the people was also a form of worship.
He said that those districts would be awarded prizes which would ensure sale of essential items at fixed rates as well as provide better facilities to the people during Ramazan and a committee had also been constituted for selecting three top districts in this regard. He said that besides setting up green channel for the supply of fruits and vegetables in Ramazan Bazaars at reasonable rates, special stalls had also been set up for providing poultry and ghee at cheaper rates.
Similarly, special counters had been set up in Ramazan bazaars for facilitating women, aged and disabled persons, he added. He said that he would pay visits to Ramazan bazaars during the last ten days of Ramazan to review supply of Sasta Atta and other essential items and a programme had been chalked out for this purpose.
He said that the purpose of the biggest subsidy of the country on Atta was to provide relief to the poor so that they could spend the money thus saved on fulfilling the needs of their children and celebrating Eid. The meeting was informed that Sasta atta was being supplied in 414 Ramazan bazaars and 512 truck points on daily basis. The meeting was further informed that atta was being returned from various points as there were no buyers and it was sent to those points, where there was rush of people.
The meeting informed that solid measures had been taken against profiteers and cases had been registered against 20 thousand shopkeepers. Similarly, 53 cases had been registered against hoarders and 91 against the elements involved in adulteration. The meeting was informed that 3,513 persons had been arrested who were involved in hoarding and profiteering whereas fine of more than Rs 20 million had been imposed.
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