Lahore: Every person over 18 years of age with a National Identity Card in Punjab has been made eligible to receive free wheat flour. The previous system of providing targeted free atta subsidies only to eligible families through free wheat flour distribution has been abolished, and now every person over 18 years of age with a National Identity Card based on their residential address in Punjab is eligible to receive free wheat flour.
Currently, registered families (averaging 6 individuals) in the unprecedented income support program are being provided with 3 bags while unregistered individuals are being provided with 1 bag of free wheat flour. However, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has expressed the desire that unregistered individuals should also be provided with 3 bags of free wheat flour, but bureaucracy has opposed this. Important decisions are expected in the meeting under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister in Islamabad today.
By yesterday, 1 crore 40 lakh bags had been distributed, but after the change in the distribution mechanism for free wheat flour, the target of Punjab’s overseeing government to distribute 4 crore 74 lakh bags of free wheat flour has practically been completed. According to initial estimates, there is a possibility of exceeding the number of free wheat flour bags by 8 crore.
Due to the high demand for free wheat flour, after a significant increase, Punjab’s Food Department requested the federal government for an additional 300,000 tons of wheat from Passco’s existing stock of wheat. Before this, the federal government had already provided Punjab with 800,000 tons of wheat.
It is clear that on the special directive of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the Punjab government, with federal financial participation, had started an muft atta scheme program to distribute free 30 kilograms of flour to 1.58 million deserving registered families earning less than 60,000 rupees monthly. However, due to technical issues, poor administrative planning, and an extraordinary public rush, the flour distribution centers across Punjab have turned into chaotic and disorderly places.
Until yesterday, nine people had died during the free flour collection process, while the majority of non-registered individuals were also causing problems at the centers. Despite the complicated and time-consuming registration process of the unique income support program, the public demand for free flour was increasing. Therefore, in view of this situation, the Prime Minister has decided to terminate the targeted subsidy program, and according to the new decision, now every person over the age of 18 with a Punjab residence address on their identity card can receive a free 10 kg bag of flour (at the moment).
The implementation of this new order has started since yesterday, and as a result, it has become increasingly challenging to fulfill the growing demand for free flour for flour mills. In several cities, including Rawalpindi, compulsory provision of free flour to flour mills has also led to problems, as the government wheat quota is insufficient. Until yesterday, free wheat had not been provided to mills in Rawalpindi.
According to sources, the government wheat reserves in Rawalpindi are at an extremely low level, and the mills are facing difficulties, despite the mandatory provision of free flour by the government.
