‘Food Stamp Scheme’ to be announced in two days

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Officials say initiative to initially target one million families, number to gradually increase to two million

By Rana Kashif
LAHORE: The Punjab government will announce the “Food Stamp Scheme” this week to facilitate two million poor families across the province by providing them with eatables on subsidised rates.

Official sources from the Punjab government told Daily Times on Thursday that Chief Minister’s Task Force on Food Stamp Scheme was asked to formulate proposals to provide relief to the poor.

Sources said that Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif was likely to announce this scheme within two days. The modalities of the said scheme would be finalised today (Friday).

Target: Initially, one million families should be targeted and the number would be gradually increased to two million, sources said adding that it was being finalised that whether those families would get the subsidy amount in cash or will be provided edibles like flour and ghee.

Sources added that the proposed subsidy amount for each six-person family was Rs 1,000, which would add up to more than Rs 1.8 billion per month for approximately two million families. Its annual cost would be more than Rs 21 billion. Sources also said that if the scheme was announced this week, it would take at least two months to become operational.

The CM on Tuesday chaired a high level meeting in order to discuss scheme-related matters in detail. The CM directed the task force chairman to finalise the scheme within two days.

He also directed the authorities concerned to prepare a list of needy families. Sources said the CM also directed that everything in the scheme should be transparent.

It was also learnt that it is the second time that the Punjab government is initiating the scheme. It had also started in Shahbaz Sharif’s last term as the CM.

Chairman Chief Minister’s Task Force SA Hameed, who would be supervising this scheme, confirmed that it will be announced within two days.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg13_2