Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says more than 2.2 million people have registered for the PM Fuel Relief Scheme, with 1.9 million fuel tokens issued so far.
ISLAMABAD: More than 2.2 million people have registered for the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme, while 1.9 million fuel tokens have been issued so far, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said.
Speaking about the implementation of the relief initiative, Tarar said the scheme was launched by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to provide assistance to people amid rising global fuel prices and regional tensions affecting oil markets.
He said the prime minister had directed all relevant departments to ensure timely implementation and personally monitored the scheme at every stage. The registration process was completed with the cooperation of the Ministry of Information Technology, while provincial governments, including those of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, also played a role in implementation.
According to Tarar, 92% of registered beneficiaries are motorcycle, Qingqi and rickshaw users. The government has also expanded eligibility by including vehicles up to 20 years old instead of the previously proposed 15-year limit.
All motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqis registered on or after Jan. 1, 2006, are eligible for registration, he said. The ownership requirement for motorcycles, Qingqis and rickshaws has also been removed.
Tarar said registration through SMS has been made free and the five-liter-per-token restriction has been removed. Motorcycle, Qingqi and rickshaw users are entitled to four tokens per month, while vehicles with engines up to 800cc receive a Rs100-per-liter relief on 10 liters of petrol every 10 days.
He said the facility is available at petrol stations across the country and that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority regularly issues instructions to fuel stations regarding implementation.
The minister said more than 557,000 registrations were recorded in a single day, while more than 545,000 tokens were issued during the same period. He added that 152,000 tokens had been issued for vehicles up to 800cc.
Tarar said complaints related to the scheme were being received and addressed, while an awareness campaign and tutorials were being used to guide citizens through the registration process. Data is also being collected under the scheme to support its implementation.
He said the prime minister was being updated on the scheme on a regular basis and that further improvements would be introduced in light of public feedback.
On disruptions to public movement, Tarar said the Islamabad High Court had issued clear orders regarding road closures and the movement of citizens. He said the administration would ensure that public movement was not disrupted and that no violent group would be allowed to enter Islamabad.
The minister said the scheme was designed to provide relief to the most deserving segments of society amid the prevailing fuel-price pressures.
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