Okays Covid-19 vaccine procurement in cabinet committee’s meeting
Amraiz Khan
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired a meeting on Tuesday to review steps for providing relief to the masses under Ramazan package and implementation on the price-control mechanism across the province.
The supply and demand situation of sugar, flour and essential items came under discussion along with the wheat procurement campaign.
The CM reiterated that the people will be the real beneficiary of the Ramazan package adding that sugar is available in Ramazan bazaars at Rs65 per kg while its open market rate is Rs85 per kg. Similarly, a ten kg flour bag is available at Rs375 in Ramazan bazaars.
The CM directed to contact the flour mills association for stabilising the price of flour in the open market and asked the administration to monitor the flour price.
An unjustified increase in the price of flour will not be allowed in the open market; he said and directed that action should be continued to curb the menace of price hike.
Meanwhile, The Punjab government has decided to procure Covid-19 vaccines and allocated a huge amount of Rs1.5 billion following the approval of the cabinet committee on combating coronavirus on Tuesday.
The Punjab’s cabinet committee on Covid-19 has reviewed the measures for curbing the spread of the virus besides mulling over further steps to protect the lives.
The CM said that Rs1.5 billion has been allocated for Covid-19 vaccine procurement and directed the authorities concerned to take immediate steps for the purchases under the regulations.
A suggestion was forwarded before the cabinet committee to shut all public activities at 6:00 pm excluding the medical stores, fuel stations and vaccination centres across the province.
The chief minister directed to form a committee to thoroughly review the suggestion before taking a final decision.
CM Buzdar announced that gyms will be closed across Punjab, whereas, staff of all offices will be reduced to 50 per cent. He added that electro-surgery was also closed in all hospitals.
During the session, the committee approved the appointment of data entry operators and vaccinators.
Meanwhile, the chief minister said that the politicization of corona pandemic is the height of apathy as the opposition has moved heaven and earth for point-scoring even at the cost of human lives.
He appealed to the nation that it is time to heal the wounds of ailing humanity and strongly condemned the politicization of the corona issue.
Lust for power is the only agenda of the opposition and it did not care for the lives of the people during the second corona wave, he regretted.
In fact, the CM maintained that deceit and protection of personal interests are the only motives of the opposition.
Opposition parties’ attitude is highly deplorable and the nation will never forget this irresponsible approach, he continued.
