LAHORE, Oct 30: The city district government Ramazan price control campaign has been reduced to lodging FIRs against profiteers as none of the officials conferred with summary trial powers of first class magistrates has bothered to check the prices of essential commodities in the open market.

Profiteers are having a field day in the city because none has so far been fined ‘from Rs15,000 to Rs100,000’ in accordance with the announcement made by District Nazim Mian Amer at his pre-Ramazan press conference here on Monday because the CDG officials engaged in checking of quality and prices have no summary trial powers and can lodge only FIRs.

Summary trial powers have been conferred on 47 district officers (revenue), DDO (R) at sub-division level and the special judicial magistrates, but price checking is being done by the tehsil municipal officers and eight teams working under the Lahore Market Committee chairman and the DDO (R). The Ramazan family markets, ‘sasta’ bazaars, fair price shops and milk and meat fair prices shops have also not been opened in the promised numbers.

The price control teams lodged FIRs against 91 traders during 110 checkings conducted on Thursday. Of 91 shopkeepers booked for overcharging, 40 were butchers. Unstamped meat was confiscated and auctioned for Rs6,100 and 30kg meat unfit for consumption was destroyed.

Of 20 petrol pumps inspected by the district labour officers in Allama Iqbal Town, 10 were booked for short-measuring. The teams also booked 46 shopkeepers for using substandard weights and measures.