Ramazan Hardships: Punjabi Households Struggle Amid Rising Costs and Insufficient Relief

As the Utility Stores Corporation shuts down, families in Punjab face challenges accessing subsidised food ahead of Ramazan. With rising prices, daily wage earners and widows struggle more, reporting difficulties in getting government aid or finding traditional Ramazan bazaars. Some welfare initiatives continue, but inflation hampers effectiveness.

Financially vulnerable households across Punjab are struggling to secure subsidised food items as the Utility Stores Corporation network comes to a halt. The rise in essential commodity prices is compounding difficulties, especially ahead of Ramazan, leaving daily wage earners and widows in distress, reports The Express Tribune.

Residents have expressed their inability to access promised assistance from the provincial government. Naila Begum, a widow in Lahore, highlighted her unsuccessful attempts to benefit from the CM's relief scheme, attributing her exclusion to a lack of political influence. Reports indicate similar grievances in various districts, alongside the absence of Ramazan bazaars previously used to stabilise prices.

Provincial officials assert that a targeted Ramazan package is being prepared, utilising welfare databases to deliver aid via digital wallets or designated centres. Although over four million individuals are targeted under the 'Nigehban Card' initiative, critics argue that many lower-middle-class families could be left out. Welfare organizations are trying to help, but inflation diminishes their outreach capacity, according to The Express Tribune.

(With inputs from agencies.)