PESHAWAR: In order to ensure good governance, the district administration has begun a campaign to check the sale of fake food items and spurious medicines and control profiteering in Peshawar by involving the local community.

Peshawar deputy commissioner Riaz Khan Mehsud told reporters in his office here on Friday that after receiving complaints of encroachments, sale of spurious medicines, exploitation of motorists by filling station owners, the administration had launched a multi-sectoral campaign to address the problems.

He said there were complaints about unprecedented increase in fee by private educational institutions and therefore, a meeting of parents and school owners had been called at Nishtar Hall on Sept 14 to find an amicable solution to the issue.

Peshawar DC says parents, private school owners called over surge in fee

The deputy commissioner said private schools were charging parents at will to the misery of the people, especially those from low-income groups.

He said a modern slaughterhouse would be established in the capital city at the cost of Rs2.5 billion to ensure supply of quality meat to the people.

Mehsud said the administration had cleared 500 kanals of land valuing Rs2 billion from encroachments in University Town, Hayatabad, GT Road and Gulbahar areas during the past over two months by demolishing 5000 shops and structures. He said market committees had been formed in the city, 36 alone in Hayatabad Township, to check profiteering and encroachments.

The deputy commissioner said the categorisation and fixation of rates for men’s tailors, launch of SMS complaint system, pages on social media and SOPs and grading of food outlets were the steps taken by the administration to encourage people to ensure action against profiteers and hoarders.

He said during the last 45 days, over Rs7.75 million fines had been levied, while hundreds of lawbreakers were sent to prison.

“In the history of Peshawar, we for the first time launched a special hygiene campaign during which quality of food sold by PC, KFC, Pizza Hut, Jan’s Arcade, A2Z Mart, Hyper Mall and K&N were checked,” he said.

Mehsud said Pepsi, Euro Foods, Sufi Foods and Stanley Foods factories were also checked for quality control and that SOPs were being made for eateries and food factories.

About the sale of spurious medicines, he said 27 clinics had been sealed in Khyber Bazaar and seven godowns in Namakmandi, while more than 100 people had been arrested for selling fake, expired and not-for-sale medicines to patients.

When asked about the smuggling of animals to Afghanistan, the deputy commissioner said the transportation of animals had been banned under Section 144 and that 28 smugglers had been arrested.

He said the establishment of Eidul Azha cattle markets would not be allowed in urban localities.

Mehsud said during the campaign, all relevant departments remained on board to avoid legal complications.

He said 37 petrol pumps were inspected for overcharging customers or having less calibrated scale.

The deputy commissioner said a fine of Rs1.2 million was imposed on such pumps.

On the occasion, additional deputy commissioner Osama Warraich said 25 people were held after seizure of 3,000 cans of melted animal fats in Chamkani area on Thursday.

Published in Dawn September 12th, 2015

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