ISLAMABAD - The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of Cabinet is set to consider summary of Ministry of Industries seeking subsidy worth of Rs 2.5 billion for Utility Stores Corporation (USC) under Ramazan Relief Package 2012 in its next meeting.

Well-placed official sources aware of the matter informed TheNation that the ECC of the Cabinet in its upcoming meeting would take up the summary forwarded by Ministry of Industries seeking subsidy worth of Rs.2.5 billion for the Utility Stores Corporation in a bid to provide relief to the masses during holy month under a 'Ramazan Relief Package, 2012'. They said the subsidy would cause reduction in the prices of fifteen daily essential items up to Rs 10 per kg being widely used in day-to-day life including floor, rice, pulses, small gram, white gram, oil/ghee, sugar, dates, pulses, 'chakki basin' Sella rice, broken rice, spices and beverages including Rooh-i-Afza in the holy month of Ramazan. Last year government had given a subsidy worth Rs 2.2 billion for Ramazan Relief Package 2011. They said due to disqualification of former Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on 19th June, the ECC could not consider summary in its last meeting.
It is worth mentioning that 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 during Ramazan.