Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday announced the Ramzan Package worth Rs.7 billion in order to provide relief to the masses in the holy month of Ramadan.
The package was announced during a cabinet meeting here in Lahore. Provincial ministers Mian Aslam Iqbal, Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi, Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dareshk, secretaries of industries, agriculture, food and livestock departments and others attended the meeting.
Giving details, the CM said a total of 313 Ramzan bazaars would be set up across the province where a 10-kg flour bag would be available at Rs 300. The Punjab government would provide around Rs 3.50 billion subsidy for this, he added. Meanwhile, the implementation of corona SOPs, including observance of social distancing will be fully ensured.
Agriculture fair-price shops would also be established to provide fruits and vegetables at the rates of 2018. Similarly, gram flour, dates, dried chickpeas lentils (chana dal) and other items would also be available at the rates of the year 2018, he said. Meanwhile, sugar would be provided at Rs 60 per kg and ghee, chicken and eggs would be sold at Rs 10 to 15 less than the market price. The CM directed to provide maximum relief to the citizens, adding that the scope of Sahulat bazaars would be expanded. He also directed to establish Sahulat Bazar Authority to provide permanent relief to the consumers from artificial price-hike. He directed to follow austerity measures while arranging Ramzan bazaars and saved money to be utilized for providing relief to the masses. The poor would be given economic relief at every cost, the CM assured, and directed them to start Ramzan bazaars from Shaaban 25. “I, provincial ministers and secretaries will also visit Ramzan bazaars” he announced.
Meanwhile, CM Punjab also directed the new corona Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be strictly implemented as the current wave was more dangerous. In a statement, he directed the concerned officials to ensure the implementation of new SOPs and reiterated that no compromise would be made in this regard. Securing the lives of the common man was the priority, he emphasized and directed to accelerate the vaccination of elderly citizens.
He said the police and the administration should ensure observance of closure-timings of markets, and added that “We understand the concerns of the traders but steps have been taken due to the rising number of corona patients. The CM said the traders should give priority to the protection of the lives of people as the number of patients and deaths were increasing due to SOPs violations. The Chief Minister assured that restrictions could be eased upon the improvement in the situation and appealed to the business community to cooperate in this regard. “The citizens should also follow the necessary precautions and every possible step will be taken for the protection of the lives of citizens”, the CM added.
In another meeting, to review performance and reforms in the Board of Revenue (BoR) for bringing ease in the lives of common man, the CM stated that facilities of land mutation and ‘Fard’ had been provided in different villages as 107 rural revenue centres have been initiated by the BoR. Now, the people would avail this facility at the level of the village, he added and directed to make functional 700 more rural revenue centres by the end of this month. A total of 8,000 rural revenue centres would be activated in the province by the end of this year to help the citizens in their revenue matters, he added.
The CM announced to visit rural revenue centres during field inspections, adding that 20 mobile units were functional for land record in far-flung areas. Around 20 more mobile arazi units would also be activated soon as 62 thousand fards had been issued online, he said. Similarly, the CM said that a one-window property registration system had also been launched in the Board of Revenue by setting up 9 such centres. The scope of this programme would be expanded to the level of districts, he added and directed to expand it up to the tehsil level within three months. Along with it, digital gardawri had been introduced in 807 mouzajaat and the lambardari system was reactivated.
