Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan (USCP) Managing Director, Brigadier Hafeez Ahmad (Retd), on Monday said that utility stores would provide five million flour bags at subsidised rates in the month of July under the Prime Minister's 'Atta Relief Package'. Talking to PTV, the MD said, around 400 utility stores (US), currently working in the country, would sell five million 10-kg bags of atta per month, which is expected to benefit upto 20 million people.
The flour would be available at utility stores at Rs 11.50 per kg across the country, he added.
Hafeez Ahmed said, the Utility Stores Corporation would hire 59 vehicles to make atta available countrywide at subsidised rates.
The Utility Stores Corporation has currently a capacity to sell 50,000 metric tonnes of atta per month, he added.
He said all cities and remote areas of Balochisten, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Azad Jammu Kashmir and rural areas with limited cultivated land had been identified as priority areas to be covered under the Prime Minister's relief package.
Atta begs, to be sold under the package, would have a special logo to prevent from misuse and would only be available at utility stores, he said.
To a question, he said, refined sugar would also be sold through Utility Stores at Rs 23 per kg. The TCP would provide refined sugar to utility stores from its stock and at the same time would continue its importing to maintain sufficient stock, he added.
The Managing Director said, the stores, which are operating for the public welfare, support government to stabilise the prices of essential and other food and non-food items.