A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Less Developed Areas has suggested for providing at least 20 per cent subsidy to the people through the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) for the entire fiscal year, instead of confining this relief to the month of Ramadan only. This was suggested by the committee's chairman Senator Usman Khan Kakar while presiding over its meeting here on Thursday.
He said that subsidy provided in the Ramadan on the goods should be continued for the entire year after excluding the commodities which are consumed only in this month. Other members of the committee endorsed the proposal of Mr Kakar. A subsidy of 10pc is not sufficient for the poor and hence it should be increased to 20pc and must be ensured that it reaches the less-developed areas of all the provinces.
The meeting in this regard suggested introduction of mobile outlets of the USC to facilitate the people of less-developed areas and directed the USC management to inform the committee in writing about the launch of such outlets. The committee also directed that required necessary help should also be taken from the local and district administration as well as district governments.
The committee also stated that the educated people of the backward areas should be given maximum opportunities of employment in the USC and other government departments so that no one could exploit their joblessness for other purposes. It criticised the government for extending subsidy to the traders and industrial sector and neglecting the poor of the country who merit the most for such schemes. The committee also recommended that there is a need for taking stern measures for the eradication of corruption from the USC. On the agenda of details of licences of explosives for Muslim Bagh, the head of the committee stated since the sale of explosive material in the open market is dangerous for the people's life, the government should immediately cancel the licences of explosive material. While giving a briefing to the committee, the USC's managing director stated that there is a need of special constitutional package to allocate 60pc quota for less-developed areas. He said that goods worth Rs 17 billion were sold at the USC outlets this year, which indicates restoration of the consumers' confidence.
The meeting was also informed that 65,000 tons of sugar was purchased and out of which 28,000 tons is available in the stock. The MD USC said that tender has already been issued for automation of the USC outlets and automation of 1,000 USC outlets would take around one year. The meeting was also informed about the embezzlement allegedly committed by accounts staff and employees of the USC head office in Quetta.
"We have dismissed some employees from their jobs and a case was also sent to the FIA," he added. Another official said that 50 to 60 tons of good were distributed among the poor through mobile system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The MD USC stated that advertisement for the recruitment of people in the USC would be published by the end of March 2017 and process would be completed within two months.