Instead of establishing Ramadan bazaars across the province, the government of Punjab is considering providing subsidies on electricity bills this year.
To materialize the idea, the DG Punjab Industries, Prices, Weights and Measures (IPWM) has requested the power distribution companies to provide the data of consumers who pay bills ranging from Rs. 1500 to Rs. 3000 every month.
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The idea is to either suspend their entire bills or provide a hefty relief to them during the lockdown period.
Every year, the government provides a subsidy of billions of rupees on essential food items to provide relief to deserving families. However, the program often falls prey to mismanagement and corruption.
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This year, due to the lockdown situation amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government is hesitant to continue the tradition. Previously, the government was advised to provide a direct subsidy on basic food items instead of arranging Ramadan bazaars. However, the authorities are avoiding any activity that includes a massive gathering of people which could cause the spread of the virus.
Therefore, the government is considering to provide direct relief to the masses in the shape of compensation through their electricity bills, the DG IMWM said.
