ISLAMABAD: The legislators from both the political divide in the National Assembly on Tuesday urged upon the government to ensure the availability of the kitchen items during the month of Ramazan.

However, taking the call seriously, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani responding the point of orders, told the House that he had issued instructions that there should be no shortage of these commodities during Ramazan.

The prime minister said he directed the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) to ensure abundant availability of wheat flour, pulses and vegetable ghee at its outlets. He said it is the policy of the government to open a Utility Store in all the Union Councils of the country. “At present there are no utility stores in 1,600 Union Councils and with this in view I had asked the relevant authorities either to establish outlets at these places on war footings or supply essential items through mobile utility stores.

Speaking on the same issue, Finance Minister Syed Naveed Qamar informed the House that as decided by the ECC today (Tuesday) a special Ramazan Package would be announced to ensure easy availability of essential items to the people at subsidised rates during Ramazan.

He said apart from essential items, efforts are also being made to provide non-essential items on cheaper rates. Meanwhile, despite quitting from the ruling coalition, the PML-N still seated at the treasury benches as they had communicated to the speaker to change their seats to the opposition benches but they would be allotted seats on the opposition benches most probably in the next session of the National Assembly.

Earlier, responding to points of order regarding the strike of goods transport in Karachi, the prime minister told the House that he had sent the federal minister for IT for negotiations with them and as a consequence the government had accepted their demands.

In the National Assembly, which is transacting private members’ business today, two bills moved by Riaz Fatyana and Yasmeen Rehman were sent to the Standing Committees concerned for detailed consideration.

These are The In-House Working Women Protection Bill and the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill. These were not opposed by the Law Minister and Parliamentary Secretary for Health.

The House also referred an amendment proposed by Syed Allauddin in Rule 194 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly to the Standing Committee concerned.

Meanwhile, Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza has said that she has set a target of Rs100 million worth of donations to the fund instituted by her for the relief of displaced people from Bajaur Agency.

She asked the members to deposit their donations in Account No 1781-9 with Allied Bank Branch of the Parliament House. The speaker said provincial assemblies are also being approached to make contributions to the fund. She said there was urgent need for the provision of food items and milk for children.

On a motion by the law minister, the House passed a resolution allowing conversion of the National Assembly Hall as polling station for the presidential election on 6th of next month. Earlier, responding to a call attention notice by Yasmeen Rehman and others, Minister for Law Farooq H Naek told the House that an interim reference had been filed before an accountability court against Bankers’ City Housing Society based in Islamabad/Rawalpindi due to embezzlement. A final reference would shortly be filed in the case involving Rs 2.56 billion of the public.