LAHORE: The Punjab government has announced setting up a provincial enforcement authority to check the price hike.

Presiding over a meeting to review the implementation of various government policies on Tuesday, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed the officials to establish the Provincial Enforcement Authority in Punjab.

“Enforcement authorities will also be established in every district and tehsil of Punjab. The Provincial Enforcement Authority will be headed by the chief secretary supported by a DG. The district enforcement authorities will be headed by deputy commissioners while the tehsil enforcement authorities will be headed by the respective ACs,” she said.

The enforcement authorities would have the powers to take action against the price hike, encroachment of government land and hoarding, besides performing other special tasks assigned by the government from time to time.

CM gives nod for new authorities at provincial, district, tehsil levels

The chief minister directed the officials to make these enforcement authorities functional within six months and immediately start legislation for the purpose. She approved a proposal to amend 11 laws, rules and ordinances for the establishment of the authorities across the province.

“A police station and a special force will be established at the tehsil level under the supervision of the tehsil enforcement authority. The authority in-charge, investigation officers, enforcement officers and constables will be appointed in a tehsil enforcement authority, which will have the powers to register cases, investigate them and to make arrests in addition to the enforcement of law,” she said while addressing the participants of the meeting.

The chief minister further added: “The offices of provincial and district enforcement authorities are being established to ensure effective monitoring.”

Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, Provincial Minister for Food Bilal Yasin, Minister for Information and Culture Azma Zahid Bokhari, Minister for Agriculture Muhammad Ashiq Hussain, MPA Sania Ashiq, the chief secretary, secretaries agriculture and finance and other relevant officers attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2024