'Efforts being made for provision of essential items at reduced rates'

Following the directives of the Punjab government, concrete steps are being taken for the provision of essential items to consumers on reduced prices throughout the year by holding fair price bazaars, Chairman of the Chief Minister's Task Force for Essential Items, S. A. Hameed, said, here on Monday.
Addressing a press conference at the DCO Office, he said the people of the province were provided every possible economic relief during the holy month of Ramazan for which extra ordinary measures had been taken under the direct supervision of the Chief Minister.
He said the provision of Sasta Atta and Sasti Sugar was a revolutionary step by the Chief Minister for which a subsidy of billions of rupees was given to provide relief to the poor. He said the Chief Minister was committed to continue this exercise and the same spirit and commitment would be maintained for checking prices, hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities.
He said, due to abolishment of magistracy system by the previous government, price checking mechanism was affected miserably and people were left at the mercy of profiteers and exploiters. The Chairman said the Punjab Chief Minister would announce a strategy very soon under which consumers would be provided with daily use items on considerably reduced prices through holding special bazaars in an organised and disciplined manner on permanent basis.
He said steps were being taken for eliminating the menace of adulteration in food items and amendments in the relevant laws had been proposed for enhancing punishment in this regard. He said a database would be prepared pertaining to the registration of carts of vendors of essential items, including vegetables and fruits, so that they could be taken into this mechanism.
Hameed said under the orders of the Supreme Court and the High Court, the Punjab government was taking effective measures to ensure the sale of sugar at Rs 40 per kg in open market. He appealed to the media to cooperate with the provincial government for making the welfare policies a success and to identify shortcomings of the system of the provision of essential items so that the people could be provided with every possible economic relief in a smooth and transparent manner.