Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has announced a Rs5 billion Ramazan Package. Under Ramazan Package, flour bags will be available to people at Ramazan Bazaars and in open market at concessionary rates. A total of 360 Ramazan Bazaars will be set up in Punjab while all model bazaars, Sahulat Bazaars, Juma and Etwar bazaars will be converted into Ramazan Bazaars. Moreover, 334 fair price shops will be established at Ramazan Bazaars where articles of daily use will be made available at wholesale prices. Stalls of Utility Stores will also be set up.
He made this announcement while presiding over a high-level meeting here Sunday which reviewed the Rs5 billion Ramazan Package. The Chief Minister later approved Ramazan Package. The Chief Minister said that effective monitoring of Ramazan Bazaars will be ensured for easy availability of quality essential items at cheap rates during Ramazan and provincial ministers, elected representatives, secretaries, Commissioners and District Co-ordination Officers will perform duties in this regard. He said that provincial ministers, elected representatives and administrate machinery will pay regular visits to Ramazan Bazaars for the implementation of the Rs5 billion Ramazan Package.
The Chief Minister said that provincial cabinet committee members can requisition aircraft and helicopter for undertaking visits to far-flung areas. He said that no compromise will be made over the quality of vegetables, fruits and essential items in Ramazan Bazaars and political and administrative machinery will play an active role towards ensuring supply of quality items of daily use in abundance so that people could fully benefit from Ramazan Package. He further said that chicken and eggs will be available in Ramazan Bazaars at 15 rupees less than market price.
The Chief Minister directed that 2000 Madni Dastarkhwan will be set up in the province for providing facility of free Sehri and Iftari to the people. He thanked philanthropists for making arrangements for Madni Dastarkhwan. He said that the Punjab government will extend all-out co-operation with regard to Madni Dastarkhwan.
Shahbaz Sharif further directed that a survey of cold storages be conducted in the province and details of the stored items be collected. He also issued instructions for formulating the Cold Storage Act. He said the role of cabinet committee is of vital importance regarding quality, availability and prices of ghee, sugar, gram flour, gram pulse, dates and other necessary items at Ramazan Bazaars and the cabinet committee should evolve an effective mechanism in this regard. He directed that co-ordination with Utility Stores be maintained so that people could fully benefit from the Ramazan Packages announced by the federal and Punjab government.
He directed Minister for Labour and Secretary Labour to ensure correct weight and measures system.
The meeting was informed that the colour of atta bag to be supplied under the Ramazan Package of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will be green while the colour bags of Sasta atta will be orange colour. It was further told that 13 new model bazaars being constructed in Punjab will be made functional before Ramazan and converted into Ramazan Bazaars. Provincial Ministers Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Dr Farrukh Javed, Bilal Yasin, Muhammad Shafiq, Member National Assembly Afzal Khokhar, Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police, concerned secretaries and senior officers attended the meeting.