The Utility Store Corporation (USC) is gearing up to launch the Prime Minister’s Ramazan Relief Package 2024, amounting to Rs 7.5 billion, on March 5. This special subsidy was announced by the Prime Minister to provide essential food items at subsidized prices during the holy month of Ramazan, according to a USC spokesman.
The package encompasses a subsidy on 19 fundamental food items, including flour, ghee, edible oil, sugar, pulse gram, white gram, besan, dates, rice, tea, spices, milk, and beverages. The USC aims to ensure the abundant availability of these items at its outlets to cater to the public’s needs during Ramazan.
Targeting approximately 200 million people registered with the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) under the PMT-60 category, the subsidy will exclusively benefit poor families. Beneficiaries under BISP will enjoy discounts on various items, such as a 10-kilogram flour bag for Rs 648, ghee for Rs 365 per kg, and sugar for Rs 109 per kg.
Additional subsidies include Rs 25 per liter on edible oil, Rs 25 per kg on pulse gram and white gram, Rs 50 per kg on gram flour (besan) and dates, Rs 25 per kg on Basmati rice, Silah rice, and broken rice, Rs 100 on tea (800 grams), and Rs 30 per liter on packed milk.
Furthermore, the USC plans to provide 20 kg flour, 5 kg each of sugar and ghee, and 3 kg each of rice, pulses, and cooking oil to BISP-registered families, with no purchase limits on other food items.
To facilitate deserving individuals not registered under BISP, the spokesman urged them to contact the Programme’s regional offices or designated Utility Stores promptly. Apart from BISP, the USC has arranged special discounts with vendors and suppliers, offering up to a 15 percent discount on over 1000 items during the holy month.
Throughout Ramazan, USC outlets across the country will remain open as usual to serve the general public. To address public complaints and ensure transparency, a monitoring cell has been established at the USC head office, with vigilance teams deployed nationwide. Consumers can lodge complaints at the helpline number (0800-05590). The USC management and workers are committed to serving the people during this period.
