Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Tanvir Ilyas Khan has said that the food subsidy offered by the government was meant to provide relief to weaker and economically underprivileged segments of the society.
Addressing a meeting of the Department of Food here on Thursday, he said, benefit of the subsidy should be transferred to the economically underprivileged people and a comprehensive mechanism should be evolved to ensure that the poor and deserving people were availing the opportunity offered by the government.
He said a proper survey should be conducted on subsidies offered on flour to evolve a comprehensive mechanism. “Only deserving people should get cheap flour”, the PM said, adding that instead of taking advantage of the scheme, the well-off people who were rich enough to fulfill their requirements of life, should come forward and help the government in its efforts to establish a welfare society.
The PM directed the Food Department officials to take immediate steps to meet the food requirement of the people to end shortage of flour from every part of AJK. “In particular, the shortage of wheat grain in the areas adjacent to Line of Control (LoC) and other remote areas should be met immediately”, he said, adding that steps should also be taken to prevent smuggling of grain outside AJK.
Earlier, Secretary Food Mansoor Qadir Dar briefed the PM AJK and Food Minister Ali Shan Soni about the details of food requirements, including demand and supply, transportation and grinding of wheat in AJK. Chief Secretary Muhammad Usman Chachar, Secretary Finance Ismatullah Shah, Secretary Food Mansoor Qadir Darud and others were present in the briefing.
The PM was told that at the time, the subsidy of more than 22 rupees per kg was given on wheat.
