ISLAMABAD - AHMAD AHMADANI - Utility Stores Corporation (USC) has sought a subsidy worth Rs 2.5 billion from government in a bid to provide fifteen daily essential items including floor, rice, pulses, gram, oil sugar, dates etc on subsidised rates under head ‘Ramazan Relief Package 2012’.
Informed circle on Thursday told that USC has recently forwarded a summary to Ministry of Industries (MoI) seeking subsidy worth Rs 2.5 billion in a bid to provide relief to the masses during the holy month of Ramazan under a ‘Ramazan Relief Package, 2012’. They said USC has sought subsidy for fifteen essential items being widely used in day-to-day life. However, more than one thousand food and non-food items including branded beverages will also be made available on subsidised rates on the largest chain of USC general stores comprising 58,00 stores located in urban and rural areas of the country. Further, these items will be made available by utilising resources of a profit earning organisation of the MoI, which had paid billions in taxes to the national kitty.
Besides, sources in the USC while talking to TheNation further informed that subsidy sought by the USC is for fifteen daily essential items including floor, rice, pulses, small gram, white gram, pulses, oil/ghee, sugar, dates, pulses, dates, ‘chakki basin’ Sella rice, broken rice, floor, spices, and beverages including Rooh-i-Afza would be made available on subsidised rates during Ramazan. They said last year, the government had given a subsidy worth Rs 2.2 billion for Ramazan relief package and now USC has asked the government to give a subsidy worth Rs 2.5 billion.
They said it is likely that MoI will forward this summary to Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet for final approval required in this regard. They further informed that the USC is going to establish 2,000 more stores in urban and rural areas of the country in near future in a bid to ensure the access of larger masses on subsidised rates of daily use essential items. Again, the USC has sent a PC-1 to the government regarding regularisation of 4,000 employees working with the USC on various pay scales particularly of BPS-1 to 17.