LAHORE, July 27: The Punjab government has changed the basic concept of the Rs22 billion food subsidy scheme by deciding to now give Rs1,000 in cash each to all deserving persons every month instead of issuing them food stamps to bypass corruption, and infamy.

“The decision to this effect has been taken by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif a few days ago to eliminate chances of corruption by the PML-N members and government machinery in running the food stamp scheme,” official sources told Dawn here on Saturday.

They said now the enlisted deserving persons would get Rs 1,000 stipend directly from Bank of Punjab branches, having liberty to use the money at will.

“This is still called a food stamp scheme which it is not after the latest decision. One can name it the direct subsidy scheme because the money can be spent by the recipients on anything they want,” the sources said.

They said the lists of the deserving persons, which were still being prepared, would be sent to the BoP branches concerned from where the recipients would directly get the monthly stipend after fulfilling the legal requirements.

Under the original plan, the Punjab government was to annually issue a copy of 12 stamps to every recipient. Each of them was required to furnish one stamp at the designated utility or private stores to get ration of Rs1,000 value every month.

The sources said the scheme had been changed with the indications that the PML-N people and the government officials involved in the process could benefit their kith and kin by enlisting their private stores for the scheme, providing them an opportunity to mint money.

There were also chances that these designated stores could sell substandard items or under weigh them. And all such pitfalls would ultimately bring a bad name to the PML-N government instead of giving it any credit.

“We have now decided to kick out the middlemen who could damage our reputation for personal benefits,” the official sources said.

In yet another step to ensure the scheme should deliver, Chief Secretary Javed Mehmood has asked all DCOs in the province at a meeting to ensure credible lists of prospective recipients of the stipend. “Don't entertain bogus entries to meet the lists' completion deadline of July 31. Bring in only genuine names no matter if the lists remain incomplete,” he told the DCOs.

It was stated the lists’ preparation speed was slow in some areas mainly because of the slackness by MPAs concerned. But, the DCOs were also consulting the related lists of the National Rural Support Programme and the National Commission for Human Development.

The meeting also discussed the electronic interlinking of the chief secretary's petition cell for saving time, and speedy redressal of people's problems.

Under the scheme, which would be launched in one week, staff of the chief secretary would put all complaints online, allowing him to check them on computer while sitting in his office. He would also be able to watch the complainants while attending meetings in the secretariat through close circuit television.

Focal persons in every district and department would check the complaints on their computers everyday and submit a report even if the chief secretary was yet to order it.