The Government of Pakistan has decided to launch its flagship Rs. 120 billion Ehsaas Ration Program to provide the deserving citizens with relief of up to Rs. 1,000 per month on shopping at the utility stores.
According to sources, the first phase of the mega relief program is being started in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Under the new targeted subsidy, a 20-kg bag of wheat worth Rs. 950 will cost Rs. 510, saving customers Rs. 440. Similarly, for ghee, the subsidy will be Rs. 105 per kilogram, and for pulses, it will be Rs. 55 per kilogram.
Officials of a utility store said as many as 3,700 utility stores across the country would gradually give subsidies to customers on three basic items. In the first phase, they said, 150 regional stores of Rawalpindi and Islamabad had been selected.
A monthly subsidy of Rs. 1,000 would be given to families earning less than Rs. 50,000. So far, 19 million deserving families have been registered under the Ehsaas Ration Program.
It is estimated that the flagship program will benefit 53 percent of the country’s population.
