Govt to provide cheap sugar at utility stores

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to provide cheap sugar at utility stores across the province.

As per details, the government will provide sugar at Rs 140 at 2100 utility stores and 750 franchised stores across Punjab.

In order to ensure transparency, the consumers are asked to bring their CNIC for buying sugar at utility stores and every family can buy maximum 5 kg sugar in a month.

Earlier, the price and availability of sugar were gradually becoming stable and normal with caretaker government launching a massive crackdown to curb smuggling and hoarding of essential commodities,

In line with its strategy, the government has also planned prize money (cash reward) for those citizens who would provide information leading to the identification of elements involved in the smuggling and hoarding.

For this purpose, a toll-free number has been set up at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Ministry of Interior to call and share the required information against the elements involved in illegal activities, causing a dent in the national economy, the state news agency reported.

To stop hoarding the federal and provincial governments have launched operations in different cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Dera Ismail Khan, which resulted in seizure of illegally stocked sugar.