The purpose to establish the utility stores was to ensure the timely supply of cheap and quality goods to the people but this goal has not been achieved so far. Especially on the occasion of Ramadan or special festivals, people have to stand in lines at these government stores and during the crisis of flour or sugar it becomes even more difficult to get these commodities from these utility stores.
This is the reason why citizens have lost trust in these government stores because the quality of the items they buy from the utility stores is not better due to which the cheap items are expensive compared to the market. For example, half of substandard flour is wasted during use, similarly, less sweet sugar is used more.
On the other hand, utility stores’ sugar has also been found to be stolen and sold in the general markets. In addition many other secondary cases have come to the front, which has affected the reputation of these government stores.
Now the strikes has also started on these stores, in order to stop them, the federal government has decided to implement the Compulsory Service Act in the utility stores. The activities of Utility Stores Corporation Unions will also be banned. According to media reports Government sources say that action will be taken against those who violate the Compulsory Service Act.
Accordingly to utility store unions have decided to go on a shutter strike in favor of the demands. Apart from that a bad news for the citizens is that the supply of flour in utility stores in different parts of the country including Peshawar has been disrupted.
Due to the shortage of flour at the utility stores, the fasting people are facing severe difficulties. In this regard, if we examine the provincial capital Peshawar, its most densely populated areas including Yusufabad, Nothia, Kohat Road, University Road, etc. where long lines of men or women being seen in the city for collecting cheap flour.
Due to the lack of proper arrangements by the authorities of the Utility Stores Corporation, the fasting people started fighting for two bags of flour.
In such a situation, questions are now being raised on the necessity of running these utility stores that either the administration of these stores should be corrected, then it stands not required to spend billions of rupees on that chain but this money should be abridged by reducing taxes on the general markets, it should be adjusted so as to ensure the supply of cheap goods in the general markets.
In fact, there is a weight in this opinion that why the government is working hard to keep the markets under control, on the one hand, there is an army of government employees who have become a burden on the national exchequer, on the other hand, they spend money on these stores. Therefore, it would be better if the general markets were kept under control, the condition of the citizens would not be so bad today.
If the government has to run government stores, then it should not be made a source of business but these stores should be run on ration cards so that no one can steal sugar or flour from someone’s share.
Here, the situation is very bad, whenever artificial crises of flour or sugar or ghee is produced in the country, then the products of these stores are sold in the markets. Therefore, it is obligatory to pay attention to the dilemma of this big chain of stores and not only to ensure the supply of food items to the citizens in abundance but also to solve the problems of the employees working in them, so that establishment don’t have to adopt tactics like the Compulsory Services Act.
