ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Tuesday Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved a Rs7 billion package for providing relief to the poor through the Utility Stores Corporation (USC).

Speaking at a press conference here along with USC Chairman Zulqarnain Ali Khan and Managing Director Umar Lodhi, the special assistant said that the relief package was in line with the prime minister’s vision of a welfare state modelled on that of Madina. The package includes lowering the prices of essential edible items, including flour, cooking oil, rice and pulses.

Dr Awan said that the USC would ensure delivery of basic items at affordable prices to the poorest section of society because this was one of the government’s top priorities.

She said modern technology would be used to ensure that benefits of the subsidy reached the common man in a transparent manner.

USC chief says deserving families will soon get ration cards to avail subsidy

The special assistant said Zulqarnain Ali Khan, who had volunteered his services free of cost as the USC chief, was an old companion of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Khan said that after taking the charge as the chairman of USC around a year ago, many problems encountered by the Utility Stores had been streamlined and resolved.

He said that ration cards would soon be provided to the deserving families so that they could buy essential edible items at subsidised rates.

He said the corporation had cleared pending bills of Rs14bn of contractors and suppliers and reduced its overheads too, but none of its employee had been fired.

Mr Khan said two million tonnes of wheat had been obtained at a cheaper price from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation.

He said that the USC would increase the number of its stores across the country from 4,000 to 10,000.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2020