LAHORE: The Punjab government is establishing an independent directorate general of industries, prices, weights and measures under the provincial industries department so as to check profiteering and under-weighing. The chief minister has approved the directorate.

Price regulation is the responsibility of the industries department under the rules and business. But it had, prior to the independent directorate general, no specialised unit to have the prices monitored, supervised and regulated.

The system was fragmented and the weighing and measures which is considered the complimentary job of price control was with the labour department. This hampered holistic price and weights and measurement control.

According to official sources, a director-general in BS-20 will head the body and employees of labour department’s weights and measurement wing will be placed under him.

The chief minister has constituted a committee, headed by the additional chief secretary, to ensure smooth and speedy merger, asking for the presentation of a panel officers for appointment to the post of the director general at the earliest.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2015

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