GILGIT: Governor Gilgit-Baltistan Pir Karam Ali Shah said the people of GB are making noise over the issue of subsidy on wheat even though they still get the commodity on a very low rate.
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Instead of crying hoarse, we should look at the backwardness of Chitral where the people still have to pay more than Rs3,000 for a 100 kg sack of wheat today. In comparison, he added, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan get the same quantity of wheat for Rs1,400 at their doorsteps and still they are not happy, he said.
It may be noted that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan have launched a protest movement against the federal government’s decision to reduce the subsidy on wheat in Giglit-Baltistan. The prices of wheat have been increased from Rs1,100 per 100 kg sack to Rs1,400 which the people say is an injustice with the.
The governor was speaking at a function held in connection with the 35th death anniversary of PPP founding chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He said that whatever development and facilities were provided to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan were because of the charismatic leader of the PPP who during the 1970s gave subsidy on wheat to the people. Besides, we got rid of the brutal Frontier Crimes Regulations because of Mr Bhutto. Pir Karam said that he was going to make a big revelation but unfortunately not a good number of Jialas turned up so he could not make the revelation.
He complained that the rulers and the PPP leaders have forgotten the principles which the party founder had given to them. Even after so many decades, he added, we have failed to achieve the objectives for which the PPP had been founded.]]>
The remarks of the Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) which were reported in many sections of the press are very close to the reality. Wheat subsidy to Chitral has been the demand of Chitralis for a long time but it has not been materialized so far by the government despite the fact that the economic conditions of the people of Chitral are more prone to vulnerabilities as compared to the inhabitants of other areas. Chitralis still remain constrained during the winter due to the closure of the Lawari Top and often the prices of the food items including wheat reaches to the apex levels in the winter.
Now as the GB enjoys this facilitation from the federal government the people of Chitral should also raise their voices for extending the wheat subsidy to Chitral as well. This demand has many justifications, like: Poverty level is high in Chitral; Chitral is more vulnerable due to its geography and its share of the developmental budget is low, too. There can be many more.
So it is high time we the Chitralis also record our appeal to the government for including Chitral in the wheat subsidy coverage zone as well.