LAHORE, Aug 2: Punjab Price Control Committee Chairman Khwaja Tahir Zia seemed helpless on Monday when he advised the people to stop consuming high-priced essential items as despite, what he called, government’s best efforts traders had ‘justifications’ for the price hike.

At a news conference at the Lahore Press Club here on Wednesday, he said ‘boycott’ was the only answer to inflation because the price issue could not be resolved through a dialogue with the business community. He said nobody died because of not eating chicken when the people stopped consuming it for several weeks due to bird flu scare.

He said steps like raids on shops, imposition of fines and imprisonment of traders were not a permanent solution to the price hike. The people, he said, wanted immediate relief but the traders had their own justification for charging high prices. The mutton, beef and poultry traders had gone on strike instead of reducing rates when action was taken against them as a last resort, he said.

Answering a question about high prices of pulses, he said Akbari Mandi traders association had agreed to sell gram pulse at the rate of Rs31 per kilogram a few days back. When informed that the pulse was being sold for Rs36 per kilogram, he said those desirous of purchasing it at the fixed retail price should visit Akbari Mandi.

He said the price control committee had proposed starting of four model ‘bachat bazaars’ in the provincial metropolis in addition to the existing Sunbday Bazaars. The bazaars, he said, would function on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The bazaars would start functioning as soon as the provincial government released the necessary funds required for the establishment of the infrastructure. The government also planned to organise consumer societies and establish consumer courts in 11 big cities, he said.

He said the committee was reviewing the prices and supply position of essential commodities in the province on a daily basis.

He said 18 government officers given magisterial powers for price control from July 19 had imposed Rs3.4 million fines and imprisoned 19 traders after conducting 2,644 raids.