ECC approves Rs98.5 crore spent by USC under PM’s free Atta scheme

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved £98.5 crore spent by the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) under the Prime Minister’s Free Atta scheme during Ramzan in the last financial year 2022-23.

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, chaired the ECC meeting on Wednesday 26th July 2023.

The Ministry of Industries and Production informed the Cabinet on March 9, 2023, that they had approved the Ramzan Relief Package 2023 for the sale of 19 items at subsidized rates, and the finance division released £4.9 billion to USC.

It was informed to the PM in the meeting that free atta was decided to be distributed to 185,984 families of Islamabad Capital Territory registered as BISP beneficiaries, and three bags of 10 KG atta were provided to the BISP.

MG USC has certified that the initiative was launched on March 18, 2023, and continued till April 16, 2023, with an expenditure of £985 million, and no separate funds were allocated for the supply of free/gift atta bags at USC outlets. The amount spent for this initiative was adjusted from £2.18 bn allocated for the distribution of subsidized atta under Ramzan Relief Package 2023 by USC.

According to the finance division, the ECC considered a summary of the Ministry of Industries and Production on the provision of free Atta under Prime Minister’s Gift Atta initiative during Ramzan and approved an amount of £985.43 million spent by the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) under the Prime Minister’s Free Atta scheme during Ramzan in the last financial year 2022-23.