Dealers deny USC daily use items on loan

RAWALPINDI: The wholesale dealers and multi-national companies have refused to provide with daily use items to theUtility Stores Corporation (USC) demanded to pay balanced money first of all to get new items; therefore, all USC outlets were empty for several days, All Pakistan Utility Stores Corporation Welfare Association’s Senior Vice President, Malik MuhammadAmeer, told ‘TheNews’ here on Thursday. The low income group of public is continuously visiting the USC outlets to get benefit by buying essential items on lower prices but in vain because all stores are facing worst shortage of items for several days. TheUSCSeniorGeneralManager, Wajid Ali Khan Sawati, said that this public welfare department has damaged completely. This department is the only ray of hope for lower income segment of society, but there is nothing for them now because all stores are without essential items, he said and added that employees of the USC arewithout salary andwithout benefits. How we could purchase essential items without paying balancedmoney, he said. All Pakistan Utility Stores CorporationWelfare Association Senior Vice President Malik Muhammad Ameer said that government had announced Rs02 billion Ramazan package but, practically, there is nothing. All stores are facing shortage of ghee, cooking oil, sugar, pulses, rice and several other items for several days. The wholesale dealers and multi-national companies have refused to provide us items because of non-payment of balanced money, he said. We will come on roads again very soon, he warned. The government, in a statement, had also decided to provide subsidy by Rs5 to Rs50 on 19 essential items during Ramazan. The government is ready to provide subsidy on atta, pulses, basin, cooking-oil/ghee, sugar etc. during the holymonth. Sources said that the USC has demanded Rs07 billion to pay balancedmoney first of all to save this department. But the government

not considering this issue seriously. Talking to ‘The News’ lower income groups belong to different walks of life has strongly condemned against shortage of all essential items inUSC outlets and demanded of the PTI government to consider this issue seriously. They said that USC is the only ray of hope for poor public in this inflation era.