LAHORE: The Punjab government is continuing its crackdown on profiteers and has arrested 47 people this month and registered 42 cases to ensure availability of essential commodities at the prices fixed by the government. The government also imposed fines of about Rs6 million on violators.

This was explained in a meeting chaired by Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal at the chief secretary’s office on Sunday. The chief secretary, administrative secretaries of relevant departments, including food, agriculture and industries, the Urban Unit chief executive officer and the Lahore commissioner attended the meeting while all the divisional commissioners participated through video link.

The meeting reviewed the prices and availability of essential commodities, especially flour and sugar, performance of price control magistrates, and strategy to contain prices of eatables. The meeting decided to take unconventional and innovative measures to overcome the issue of price hike.

Minister Iqbal stressed that the administrative officers would have to ensure implementation of the fixed rates. He directed that prices of vegetables and other commodities should be closely monitored and the agriculture department play an active role in ensuring the availability of these items.

17 fruit, vegetable vendors arrested

The chief secretary said steps would be taken under a comprehensive strategy to tackle the problem of artificial price hike, adding that no laxity on the part of government officials would be tolerated. He ordered the officers to intensify the crackdown on profiteers and hoarders across the province.

In order to ensure availability of flour at fixed prices, the chief secretary said the supply of subsidised government wheat to flour mills, its grinding and supply to the market should be fully monitored. He said action should be taken against the mills that would not use for grinding the whole wheat provided to them under the government quota.

ARRESTED: A city administration team on Sunday got arrested 17 fruit / vegetable vendors for overcharging the customers, according to a press release.

Lahore Deputy Commissioner Muddassir Riaz Malik visited Sunday Bazaar at Gulshan-i-Ravi and Wahdat Colony where he checked rates, quality and availability of essential commodities. At Gulshan-i-Ravi Bazaar, he imposed fine on a meat vendor for not displaying rate list.

During visit to Wahdat Colony Bazaar, the DC got inspector of Market Committee arrested for not checking quality / standard of essential commodities being sold and not revising rate list of vegetables.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2020