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LAHORE, Oct 27: The Punjab government constituted on Monday a committee to seek on a daily basis reports on prices and supply of edibles from all districts in the province.
To be headed by Food Minister Chaudhry Iqbal, the committee was constituted on orders of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi issued during a meeting of the Punjab Prices and Supplies Board on Monday.
The committee would ensure strict monitoring of prices of essentials as EDOs and DOs (revenue) had been entrusted with special powers to maintain stability of prices and curbing black-marketing and hoarding during Ramazan.
The chief minister also asked district Nazims and DCOs to ensure adequate supply of quality food items in Friday and Sunday bazaars and hold meetings of district price control committees regularly and set up complaint centres.
Industries Minister Ajmal Cheema was asked to prepare a plan in consultation with the Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association (PVMA) to stabilize prices of ghee and cooking oil.
The meeting was told that arrangements had been completed to ensure provision of 20-kg flour bag at Rs160 during the holy month.
Besides ministers and secretaries of food and industries departments, representatives of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the PVMA and the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) also attended the meeting.
CABINET: Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has sought proposals from cabinet members to introduce a permanent monitoring and scrutiny system in their respective departments.
The chief minister was presiding over a meeting of the cabinet here on Monday.
Pervaiz Elahi asked the ministers to come up with their suggestions in the next cabinet meeting, says a handout.
He believed that desired results of public welfare projects could not be achieved without ensuring transparency in the performance of various government departments.
He apprised the cabinet members of the details of chief ministers’ conference held here on Sunday.
Under a decision of the conference, joint check-posts would be set up at all provincial borders to check the activities of criminals.
There was a complete unanimity of views among the four chief ministers on construction of new water reservoirs in the country, he said.
Religious Affairs Adviser Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi apprised the cabinet of the efforts being made for promoting religious harmony among various schools of thought.
