ISLAMABAD, Jan 11: City administrators on Thursday fined several shopkeepers and sealed one petrol station in a drive against overcharging and sale of low quality or unhygienic goods to the citizens.

Officials said 300 consumer items were collected from different markets of Islamabad during the drive and sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) for testing. Fifty-seven of them were found to be substandard or unhygienic.

These items ranged from wheat flour to mineral water and included tea, red chilies, spices, cooking oils, candies and bakery products, according to the District Food Department of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration which launched the drive.

Shopkeepers who were selling these unhealthy items were fined a total of Rs100,000.

It was not clear to the citizens what really triggered the drive as their complaints against the deteriorating quality of food items and rising prices had failed to move city authorities into action.

Even when they did in the case of acid-soaked ginger, their action proved to be short-lived as the culprits just moved their hazardous business to neighbouring Rawalpindi and later to Gujar Khan.

The sale of the dangerous ginger continues in wholesale markets.

On Thursday, the ICT administration penalised 14 traders on the charges of profiteering. They were fined Rs11,000. Three of them were held from Sitara Market and eight from Barakahu area.

In separate raids, ICT administration officials sealed four units of a petrol station for short measure and adulteration.

APP adds: Magistrate (Rural) Hussain Bahadur during surprise checking in Barakahu imposed a fine of Rs4,000 on eight profiteers while Magistrate (City) Farasat Ali Khan fined six profiteers Rs300 in G-7 Sitara Market.