ISLAMABAD, Oct 26: Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has decided to set up over 20 fair price shops in the urban area of Islamabad to provide consumer items on subsidised rates to the people during the holy month of Ramazan.
“These shops will be set up in sectoral area and for the rural areas of the capital, mobile fair price shops will be sent on daily basis,” the city magistrate, Farasat Ali Khan, told Dawn on Saturday.
The official said the Food Department Islamabad (FDI) had made elaborate arrangements to provide consumer items to the residents of Islamabad at reduced rates through special Ramazan mobile food package.
The packages will be launched with the cooperation of vegetable ghee mills association, flour mills association, and wholesalers of various consumer items, he added.
The district administration has made arrangements to provide 20 kg bags of wheat flour at Rs160 to Rs165 instead of Rs190.
Under the package, trucks loaded with food items will be parked at different sites in rural areas of Islamabad to sell consumer items at cheeper rates.
The areas, which have been selected for the package, are Bharakahu, Tarlai, Rawat, Sihala, and Kurri. Items to be sold through mobile shops are wheat flour, sugar, vegetable ghee, pulses and maze flour.
The district administration will also establish a Sasta Bazaar near the Pims hospital some ten days before Eid, where different items like clothes, shoes, bangles, groceries, crockery etc. will be sold at reduced rates.
The official warned the profiteers to abstain from over charging especially during Ramazan, failing which, heavy fines would be imposed against the violators.
Meanwhile, the traders community of the capital assured the local administration to voluntarily reduce the prices of different essential commodities during Ramazan and to keep the profit margin at the lowest level in order to provide genuine relief to the consumers.
In a meeting with the city magistrate, mill owners and wholesalers ensured that quality of edibles would be maintained.
Traders community also ensured implementation of rate list, which will be issued by the district administration during Ramazan on daily basis. The committee will meet once in a week.
The city magistrate said the District Price Control Committee (DPCC) would meet on Thursday to decide official rates of consumer items specially samosa, Pakora, dates, atta, sugar, ghee, maze flour and pulses.