ISLAMABAD: The standing committee of Senate for Industries and
Production has showed its concern over the sale of substandard items at
Utility Stores and asked for unexpected raids to improve monitoring
system at these stores.
The committee also expressed
apprehensions on political monitoring of the Utility Stores saying that
political personalities should not be involved to check the sale.
The
meeting of the committee was held at parliament house on Saturday with
its Chairman Senator Ishaq Dar presided over the meeting. He instructed
that Utility Store Corporation may be bought to the stock market so as
to strengthen the financial position of USC. He said that the scarcity
of flour and ghee is observed at these stores.
The senior
management of the Corporation gave the briefing to the committee. They
told the Senate’s body that at present some 5700 outlets of Utility
Stores are functioning in the country where as establishing of about
2000 more stores are on the cards of the government.
They said
that USC is disbursing Rs 150 million per month to its 13000 employees.
Corporation is meeting all the expenditure through its own resources.
They
said that the subsidy of Rs two billion is reaching to the buyers
directly , which government is offering to them under special Ramazan
package and if deemed necessary , more subsidy might be given to the
people as subcommittee of the cabinet has already working in this
regard.
They told the committee that out of announced list
almost 70 percent item have been provided to these stores and sale
would be reviewed on 10th of Ramazan. Online
