20000126

Food stamp

scheme may

be launched

KARACHI: The federal government is learnt to have approved in principle the "food coupon/food stamp" scheme as proposed by Sindh food department and constituted a 14-member committee, headed by Dr. Attiya Inayatullah, Member National Security Council.

With Umar Asghar Khan, Minister for Environment and Local Government as co-convenor, the committee members include federal secretary for religious affairs, chairman Pakistan Baitul Maal, Sindh agriculture minister, secretary food Sindh, finance minister NWFP, secretary finance NWFP, secretary food NWFP, senior member board of revenue Quetta, secretary finance department Punjab, secretary food Punjab and joint secretary finance division.

The terms of reference for the committee are:

To study the existing atta coupon/food stamp scheme, make recommendations for adoption of the scheme in the country, to formulate details about its operation and monitoring of the implementation, To make recommendation for the improvement/develop institutional mechanism to identify the target group, To make fool proof recommendations for the delivery system, and to make recommendations about the sources of funding to be utilised for this scheme.ÑAPP