LAHORE, Oct 25: Punjab Food Minister Chaudhry Iqbal on Tuesday ordered formulation of a plan for controlling prices during the Eid days.

Presiding over a meeting of the Price Control Committee here on Tuesday the minister said raids being conducted to check prices should be continued. A committee comprising the officials of the departments concerned should be constituted for ensuring availability of commodities at fair prices, he added.

He directed the market committees to ensure availability of quality fruits and vegetables in the Sunday and Ramazan bazaars and proper display of prices by the traders. He asked the Utility Stores Corporation to ensure availability of sugar at fixed prices and redress grievances of the consumers with respect to its non-availability.

The minister was told that 16,500 raids had been conducted for checking prices in the province in Ramazan. Cases had been registered against 2,065 profiteers and Rs1,208,000 fines imposed on them.

The DCOs briefed the committee about the steps taken by them for ensuring availability of commodities and implementation of the Ramazan Package in Lahore, Lodhran, Bahawalnagar, Jhelum and Rawalpindi.