LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided not to give subsidy on flour bags this Ramazan, besides cutting the number of Ramazan Bazaars in comparison to the last year’s figure.

The government has decided that this year, Model bazaars in 25 districts will continue as Ramazan bazaars, while the other 15 districts will have one makeshift Ramazan Bazaar each.

The Ramazan bazaars will have agriculture “fair price shops”, offering subsidies on five fruits, seven vegetables and baisen.

This year, the government has planned to provide food hampers to some 6.5 million families, as per the data of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

The deputy commissioners of all districts have been directed to verify the data of deserving families, whose income is less than Rs27,000 per month. Each food hamper will have a 10kg flour bag, 2kg ghee, 2kg sugar, 2kg rice and 2kg baisen.

These decisions were finalised in a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman at the civil secretariat on Saturday.

A source privy to the meeting told Dawn that the cost of the subsidised items to be offered at Ramazan bazaars, as well as the food hampers, will be finalized by the respective DCs in a day or two.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2024