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Shehbaz Sharif approves Rs 8,500 per 40-kg as cotton support price of 15 million poor people who are likely to get free flour during Ramazan through outsourcing of Utility Stores n Orders, federal capital solid waste disposal.
LAHORE – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that around 15.8 million households in Punjab province would get wheat flour free of charge during the holy month of Ramazan.
The prime minister, who chaired a meeting to review the Ramazan Package, said that for the first time in the country’s history a package was prepared for the distribution of free wheat flour. He said that the wheat flour would be distributed from the 25th of Sha’ban (Saturday) to the 25th of Ramazan through 8,500 utility shops. Besides, another 20,000 flour distribution points would also be established to facilitate the people.
The chief minister directed the concerned authorities to ensure transparency in the distribution of free flour among the poor and directed to use modern technology to curb theft during the process. Moreover, he said there would be no compromise on the quality of the flour. He said that the people would be able to check their eligibility for the free wheat flour through SMS. The chief minister said that the federal government would also assist the other states for such a program.
A Punjab government representative briefed the prime minister in detail on the free flour distribution program during the Holy Month of Ramazan.
The caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Adviser to PM Ahad Cheema and relevant senior officials attended the meeting.
Also, in a major step to facilitate the cotton farmers, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday approved Rs 8,500 per 40-kg as the support price of the commodity. He instructed the prime minister to present the matter to the Economic Coordination Committee on priority. While chairing a meeting of the Agriculture Task Force, the prime minister urged the states to ensure cotton price implementation.
He called cotton as the backbone of the country’s textile sector and expressed confidence
that step would support the farmers. Highlighting the importance of cotton in earning foreign exchange, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the government would extend all possible assistance to the states in this regard.
He mentioned that steps are being taken to boost yield per acre of cotton and directed the Ministry of National Food Security to finalize the required proposals.
The meeting was informed that last year’s cotton production faced an exponential decline due to floods, heavy rains, shortage of canal irrigation water, and fertilizer crisis.
This year, the overall cotton production was estimated at 12.77 million bales, which is expected to see significant growth as a result of government policies.
The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Ishaq Dar, Syed Naveed Qamar, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Advisor to PM Ahad Cheema, and relevant officials.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday ordered the outsourcing of solid waste collection and disposal in the Federal Capital to provide international standard services to the residents and reduce government expenditure.
The prime minister, who was chairing a high-level meeting to discuss a solid waste project in Islamabad and its suburbs, called for the floating of an international tender to establish a coordinated solid waste management system in the city.
He said that a solid waste disposal system should be launched immediately in the city. A model of solid waste disposal already existed in Punjab because during his tenure as the chief minister of the province, his government had introduced an international standard project for waste disposal in Lahore, he added.
The prime minister said that every step of collecting solid waste to take it to the landfill site should be outsourced. In the second phase, power generation through solid waste should be planned, he added. The meeting heard that work on the solid waste project in Islamabad is progressing rapidly as land for the landfill site has been selected.
The prime minister said that outsourcing the collection and disposal of solid waste would not only ensure the provision of quality services to the residents but also reduce government expenditure.
The meeting was briefed in detail about the progress of the project. He directed the chief minister to implement the project within the specified time.
Former members of the National Assembly Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Hanif Abbasi and Anjum Aqeel, commissioners of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and relevant senior officials attended the meeting.
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