The Gil­git-Baltistan (GB) government in Pakistan has spiked the price of subsidised wheat from Rs20 to Rs36 per kilogram.

As per a notification issued by the GB food department on Thursday, the new rate will come into effect from Jan 1, 2024, reported Dawn News.

Earlier, the GB government had initially planned to spike the price of subsidised wheat rate to Rs52 per kg.

At a presser, GB Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan was quoted as saying by Dawn News that the federal government had req­u­­ested a 70 per cent in­­c­r­e­ase in the subsidised wheat rate and advocated for targeted subsidies, benefitting only those enrolled in the Benazir Income Support Prog­ramme.

He explained that despite the initial decision to raise the subsidised wheat rate to Rs52 per kg, the GB government opted for a more moderate increase to Rs36.

He outlined that each individual would receive 7kg per month, with 75pc Pakistani and 25pc Ukrainian wheat supplied to GB by Islamabad.