LAHORE: In order to provide maximum relief to people during Ramazan, the Punjab government has intensified the crackdown on profiteers across the province, arresting 719 persons and lodging 1406 FIRs in the last 10 days. The price control magistrates also imposed fines of about Rs34.5 million during the raids conducted in different cities.
The report on the crackdown was presented at a meeting chaired by Provincial Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal. The Chief Secretary, additional chief secretary, secretaries of food, agriculture and industries department, Commissioner Lahore, Cane Commissioner Punjab and other concerned officers attended the meeting while the Divisional Commissioners participated through video link.
The meeting reviewed the prices, availability of commodities and performance of the price control magistrates. It also decided to take special measures to improve the supply and the process of sale of sugar.
Speaking at the meeting, Mian Aslam Iqbal said the Punjab government is giving billions of rupees in subsidy on food items to provide relief to the common man during Ramazan. He directed the officers to take concrete steps to control the prices of poultry. He said he had visited the Ramazan bazaars in Sialkot and found the arrangements satisfactory; however, the number of counters at the busiest stalls should be increased to facilitate the buyers.
The Chief Secretary asked the officers to increase the quota in the districts where sugar is in high demand, adding that there should be no shortage of anything commodity including the sweetener. He said as per the directives of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Punjab, the special branch and urban unit were assigned duties of monitoring to keep a check on the price control measures. He directed that those looting the people by creating artificial shortage of eatables be dealt with iron hand. The secretary industries gave a detailed briefing to the meeting on the trend and availability of food items including flour, sugar, vegetables, ghee and poultry.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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