LAHORE: The Punjab government has directed all the deputy commissioners to ensure doorstep delivery of ATM cards to 4.2 million deserving families besides strictly enforcing official prices during Ramazan.

Each family will be entitled to draw Rs10,000 as assistance during the holy month of Ramazan.

The direction was issued by Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman at the civil secretariat on Thursday. The government has launched a Rs47 billion Ramazan Nigehban relief and price control package ahead of the holy month.

The meeting was attended by finance department secretary Mujahid Sherdil, Inspector General of Police, Punjab, Abdul Karim and other officers, while food safety and consumer protection (FS&CP) secretary Dr Kiran Khurshid, the Bank of Punjab president, all divisional commissioners, regional police officers, deputy commissioners and district police officers joined the meeting online.

Asked to ensure official prices in Ramazan

The meeting was told the cards delivery process had already begun as around 1.2m cards dispatched to districts so far, while the process would complete by March 1.

The meeting reviewed security arrangements, price control mechanisms and implementation of the Ramazan package.

The chief secretary directed the deputy commissioners to strictly enforce official prices during Ramazan, intensify action against profiteers and hoarders, and personally supervise auction processes in wholesale markets.

He said ensuring the availability of essential commodities at notified rates and maintaining balance between demand and supply would remain a key responsibility of the district administrations.

The meeting also stressed that price control magistrates should remain active in the field to prevent shortages, particularly of fruits and vegetables. The district administrations were also instructed to extend full facilitation to organisers of Iftar Dastarkhwans.

With regard to security matters, the chief secretary instructed preparation of fool-proof security plans for mosques and imambargahs, including enhanced surveillance through CCTV cameras and walk-through gates at sensitive locations.

Inspector General of Punjab Police Abdul Karim informed the meeting that all Safe Cities Authority cameras would be kept fully operational, while police patrolling and security deployment would be increased during Iftar and Taraweeh prayers.

Dr Khurshid told the meeting that Ramazan bazaars would be made operational in Sahulat bazaars across the province from Feb 14, where flour, fruits and vegetables would be available at subsidised rates.

She said the food safety and consumer protection department had already stepped up its campaign against hoarders in coordination with the Pera force. She said the department launched operation at 510 location on hoarding information and recovered 853.6 metric tonnes of food items worth Rs118.07m.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2026