FAISALABAD, Sept 17: District administrations have been entrusted with powers to fix prices of ‘sasta ration items’ to arrest profiteering, hoarding and blackmarketing, it is learnt.

Earlier, the Punjab Permanent Price Committee (PPPC) was entitled to fix prices at the provincial level which was not accepted by the districts.

Meanwhile, despite having powers of summary trials, the special magistrates also failed to check price hike, hoarding and profiteering.

At a meeting held a couple of days ago, the district coordination officers complained about fixing of prices at the provincial level. The sources privy to the meeting said the gathering was informed that the prices fixed by the PPPC were less than the market rates which created problems for the district administrations.

After a long deliberation, the sources said, it was decided that the prices should not be fixed at the provincial level, and the respective districts should be entrusted with powers to do the same.

Now, the sources said, the DCOs had been directed to exercise powers of the PPPC and convene meetings of all stakeholders to fix prices of food items with their consultation.

A district officer said: “Shopkeepers are unable to sale kitchen items on controlled rates as they have to purchase edibles from the market at higher rates than those fixed by the government. Some of the retailers show receipts of the items purchased from the market.

But after the delegation of price fixation powers at the local level, nobody will be allowed to fleece the poor as prices will be fixed subsequent to their consent.”

FOUR KILLED: Four people, including two women, were killed in separate incidents in and around the city on Saturday.