Murad announces Rs22.5bn Ramzan package to help 60pc population of Sindh
Chehra WebDesk
Murad announces Rs22.5bn Ramzan package to help
60pc population of Sindh
KARACHI Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad
Ali Shah has announced a Ramzan package worth Rs22.5 billion aimed at
supporting 60 per cent of the population, particularly those who earn a minimum
wage of between Rs32,000 to Rs35,000 per month.
The targeted families will receive Rs5000 cash each
through banks. The mechanism for this will be announced within the next two
days. Meanwhile, the CM directed all the divisional commissioners to start a
crackdown against the hoarders and profiteers from today and report him.
He took these decisions while presiding over a
meeting regarding the Ramzan package and other arrangements, including price
control. The meeting was attended by Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chief
Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, IG Police Riffat Mukhtar, Secretary Finance Kazim
Jatoi, Secretary Agriculture Aijaz Shah, Secretary Food Nasir Abbas Soomro, Adl
IG Karachi Khadim Rind, Commissioner Karachi Saleem Rajput, all deputy
commissioner of Karachi, representatives of KE and SSGC and other concerned.
During a briefing to the chief minister, Chief
Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam informed that there were 4.5 million deserving
families in the province who were earning between Rs 32,000 to Rs 35,000 per
month or less. The CM said that these families constituted 60 per cent of the
population, and he has decided to provide them with a Ramzan package of Rs
5,000 cash each. The total subsidy amount for this initiative is expected to be
Rs 22.5 billion. The chief minister mentioned that a similar package worth Rs 15.5
billion was provided during the last Ramzan.
Murad Ali Shah instructed the chief secretary to
determine the number of eligible families to ensure that no one is left behind.
He also directed him to talk to the banks to distribute the allocated Rs 22.5
billion.
The Chief Minister directed all the divisional
commissioners to start a crackdown against the profiteers and hoarders. “You
have to maintain not only the price of the commodities and edibles but ensure a
balance between demand and supply so that prices could remain under control.
Mr Shah instructed Commissioner Karachi Saleem
Rajput to send his representatives- an assistant commissioner and a
Mukhtiarkar- to be present at the time of the auction of vegetables and fruits
at Subzi mandi and issue prices accordingly. He directed the IG Police to give
instructions to the district police to support the district administration in
price control exercise and the crackdown being started against hoarders and
profiteers.
The Chief Minister has instructed the Karachi
Electric, Hyderabad Electric Supply Company, and Sukkur Electric Power Company
not to implement load shedding during Iftar and Sher. He has also mentioned
that Sui Southern Gas Company has started load shedding and requested them to
exempt domestic consumers during Ramzan and provide them with maximum
facilitation.
Mr Shah directed Zakat department to start
releasing a Rs14,000 guzara allowance among their 110,000 registered families
each. He said everyone has to come over even the private sector and
philanthropists to support the poor people during the holy month of Ramzan.
The chief minister pointed out that prices of
everything were slashed during Ramzan everywhere in the world, but it was
Pakistan where prices were deliberately increased. “Everyone must understand
the importance of the Holy month Ramzan and the plight of the poor people,” he
said.
Murad Ali Shah told the administration that he
would personally pay surprize visits to the city to check the prices, quality
of fruits, vegetables and other commodities and their availability in the
market. “I’ll not tolerate any negligence,” he warned.
