ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: The government on Wednesday decided to launch a ration card system from Feb 8 to provide essential food items to people of low-income groups at subsidised rates.

The decision was taken at a meeting convened by caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro to review the performance of the Utility Stores Corporation (USC).

The prime minister constituted a committee to collect data about people of the low-income groups from all over the country.

The data will be collected from Baitul Mal, Social Welfare Department, Zakat and Ushr Department, Nadra and provincial and local governments.

The committee has been asked to complete the work , including the setting of eligibility criteria and relevant modalities within 10 days.

With the launching of the scheme, the prime minister said, the poor segments of society would be able to get essential food items including wheat, edible oil, rice, sugar and pulses at reasonable price. “This is a poverty driven measure,” the prime minister said, adding that the cards would be issued only to low-income people unable to buy essential commodities from the open market.

The prime minister also appreciated a proposal put forward by the USC to provide clean drinking water at their outlets at reduced price.

He directed the USC to expand their network all over the country, particularly in rural areas to cater to the needs of people with low-income. He also stressed the need for involving provincial governments and ensuring their active participation in the poverty eradication measure.

The prime minister asked Minfal to work out standard operating procedures to ensure the availability of wheat and flour and to keep their prices stable. He said that storage places should be monitored regularly to ensure that declared storage places were being properly utilised , besides monitoring the stock movement.

The prime minister said that the USC was the biggest network of retail business in the country, therefore, it should start introducing its own brands. Earlier, the industries secretary briefed the meeting on the various initiatives taken by the USC.