ECC decides to reduce wheat subsidy for Gilgit-Baltistan by 2 rupees per kilogram

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), which met here on Tuesday, with the Prime Minister in Chair, decided to decrease wheat subsidy for Gilgit-Baltistan by 2 rupees per kilogram. The subsidy will be reduced by the end of current financial year.

The reduced subsidy will mean that the price of wheat per sack will increase by up to 200 rupees.

It was also decided that funds for the supply of wheat would be provided on quarterly basis during harsh weather while it would be provided on monthly basis for the remaining part of the year.

During the winters, the roads get blocked in Gilgit-Baltistan, and access to remote areas becomes limited.

The government of Pakistan provides wheat at subsidized rates to the residents of the Gilgit-Baltistan region. The federal government has been pushing to reduce the subsidy for some time.

In the past, efforts to withdraw or reduce the subsidy have been forcefully opposed by the locals.

N.B: An earlier version of the story mistakenly reported that the subsidy has been increased. The error is regretted.