LAHORE: The Punjab government has renamed the Price Control and Commodities Management department as “Food Safety & Consumer Protection” (FS&CP) department”, with its new logo depicting core functions in the centre and nine concentric stars in a circle, representing as many subordinate agencies, which are aligned, yet distinct.

The department’s nomenclature has been changed through a notification issued by S&GAD’s implementation and coordination (I&C) wing in line with the amendments authorised by the Punjab governor in the Punjab Government Rules of Business 2011.

The change has been executed through an extensive process following approval granted by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to energise the government’s battle against food adulteration and unbridled price-hike and serve general consumers, officials say.

Under the new rules of business, heads of the five attached departments will report to the new department. The heads of the attached departments are: director general enforcement (Prices and Consumer Protection); DG (Food)/ cane commissioner, Punjab; director of agriculture (Economic and Marketing), Punjab; director of the Punjab Institute of Agriculture Marketing and director of the Consumer Protection Council.

The FS&CP department will also be supervising the four autonomous bodies and companies – Punjab Food Authority, Punjab Agriculture Marketing Regulatory Authority, Punjab Halal Development Agency and Punjab Sahulat Bazaars Authority, said Special Assistant for FS&CP department Salma Butt, who was flanked by department secretary Dr Kiran Khurshid, in an interaction with media persons on Friday.

The Punjab Consumer Protection Act 2025 has been introduced, increasing fines from Rs1,000 to Rs100,000. Consumers can file complaints with Consumer Protection Councils (CPCs) via a helpline, mobile app, portal, or directly with the deputy commissioner (DCs) concerned. The CPCs jurisdiction has been extended to all 41 districts across the province.

It is learnt that the Punjab government has abolished the Consumer Protection Courts and transferred all pending cases to the respective DCs for decision within a specified time. The consumers can now file complaints against unfair trade practices and product quality issues with the CPCs or the DCs concerned.

Ms Butt was of the view that strict penalties will help check corruption and profiteering and ensure fair prices, adding that some 6,600 complaints were filed with the CPCs, and of these, 4,900 were resolved during 2025.

She said that as many as 1,827 price control magistrates have been assigned duties to ensure essential commodities meet quality standards and notified prices. The performance of the magistrates is being monitored daily via geo-tagging, she added.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has approved 11 projects, including establishing a Sahulat Bazaar Authority with an estimated cost of Rs12.48 billion.

In order to bring down inflation and provide relief to households, Ms Butt said some Rs10 billion had been allocated to establish 105 Sahulat Bazaars, of which 48 had been made functional in the province. Besides, as many as 10 On-the-Go Sahulat Bazaars have also been made functional in Lahore, she added.

She also mentioned approval of the establishment of a new headquarters for the Punjab Food Authority (PFA), as well as a training school and modern food testing lab in Rawalpindi to ensure provision of pure food to the consumers.

She said work is on to establish four mobile labs to check sugar levels in sugarcane during the crushing season, while a digital system will monitor sugar mills, recording weight, deductions, prices and payments to farmers.

Secretary Dr Khurshid said the Punjab Agriculture Marketing Regulatory Authority had modernised 188 fruit and vegetable markets and added that data on demand and supply would aid future planning. Use of bodycams has been made operational to ensure transparency in auction processes in Lahore markets, she added.

She said the financial and administrative reforms introduced in the authority increased revenue by 130 percent, while the government generated Rs4 billion through allotment and auction of plots in agriculture markets.

With the support of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA), she said, data regarding trucks arriving at agriculture markets and the supply of vegetables and fruits was also being recorded.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2026