The Katsina State Government Wednesday, refuted a report that it has received N5 billion from the Federal Government as palliatives to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal on its citizens.

The state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Home Affairs, Mr. Bala Salisu-Zango, while addressing journalists, said the state received only N2 billion from the Federal Government.

He said: “The attention of Katsina State Government has been drawn to news going round in the media that N5 billion has been released to states by the Federal Government for palliatives.

“I wish to state that Katsina State Government received only N2 billion for procurement of the grains to be distributed to citizens of the state.”

He explained that the state government had already used the N2 billion for the procurement of N40,000 bags of rice to be distributed to vulnerable persons in all the polling units in the state.

He assured the people that once the next tranche of the funds is received from the Federal Government, the state government will purchase additional bags of maize and distribute them to the citizens.

The commissioner said the state government would not hesitate to punish anyone found wanting before, during and after the distribution of the free grains.