RAWALPINDI, July 13 The Punjab government is considering forming a consortium of banks for payments to disadvantaged group under the Food Support Programme (FSP), the administrator of the programme announced here on Monday.

The distribution of Rs1,000 per deserving family every month through Pakistan Post Office has failed due to alleged corruption and malpractices by the postmen.

The FSP administrator, S. A. Hameed said 15 postmen had been arrested and 37 suspended on this account.

MPA Hameed, who chaired a meeting in the office of DCO on Monday, said a consortium of at least three to four banks would be formed in consultation with members of the provincial assembly.

There are 54,000 families throughout the Rawalpindi district who are beneficiaries of the programme.

Mr Hameed said the Punjab government was considering allocation of Rs5 billion under the micro-credit scheme under which people would be able to seek interest-free loans.

In the month of Ramzan, the government would provide consumers with Sasta wheat flour, a scheme which would be announced by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif soon.

MPA Hameed said the MPAs had been authorised to monitor the operation of the Sasta tandoors.

All such tandoors selling under-weight 'roti' would be closed down and quota of wheat flour for 'sasta tandoors' would be allocated for areas where no such tandoor was in operation, he said.

Mechanical tandoors were in operation in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Gujranwala from where about 1,500 breads can be prepared at a time.