UTILITY Stores Corporation (USC) has time and again proved its efficacy as a platform to provide relief to the inflation-hit people in the form of provision of subsidized items to them. Present government has also resorted to the vast network of USC to extend a relief of seven billion rupees to the people which will see reduction in prices of essential items including flour, cooking oil, rice, pulses etc at the utility outlets.
Before commenting on the government’s relief package, it will be unfair not to appreciate the hard work put in by the incumbent chief of USC Zulqarnain Ali Khan who in a matter of one year has addressed most of the problems faced by the organization including the financial ones and we are confident that under his leadership the organization will be turned into profitable entity, and for this the USC needs not only to further spread its network especially in the remotest areas but also use modern technology in order to ensure complete transparency in its transactions including purchase of products . Quality of products must be ensured by the USC besides the organization needs to open such mega outlets where all the essential commodities are available to the consumers under one roof. This will also significantly enhance the revenue of the corporation. As regards government’s relief package announced by Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan and Zulqarnain Ali Khan at a news conference on Monday, we understand it was need of the hour given the fact that the price hike had multiplied the problems of the consumers. Reduction in prices of essential commodities at the utility stores will help stabilize the prices in the open market as well. But at the same time the government needs to come up with a strict mechanism to monitor and keep the prices under control. As the government is all set to launch a ration cards scheme through the USC, the cards should only go to the genuine deserving families. For this, the government can use the data of BISP.
