In light of complaints of malpractice against Utility Stores Corporation (USC) outlets across Pakistan, the Federal Ombasdman tasked his Advisors with visiting them in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Abbottabad and Jhang to take observe office timings, availability of staff, adequacy of the daily food items, and their quality and the quantities.
They also checked whether the government’s standard operating procedure (SOP) for the issuance of CNICs by ration buyers was being followed.
The advisors found that some areas of Bahawalpur lacked sufficient quantities of wheat flour and various USC branches in Lahore did not have enough cooking oil, which had led customers to make repeated visits.
It was also noted that the government’s announcement of a further subsidy had resulted in the repackaging of sugar and flour, which had delayed deliveries.
The officials also gave immediate instructions to the management to ensure that the required foodstuff and daily victuals are available in sufficient quantities and sold at the subsidized rates announced by the government.
Utility stores have drenched the national exchequer ever since inception without providing any relief to the public. Beneficiaries have been the officials and staff who made fortunes in bungling. They should be closed immediately.