LAHORE, July 16: Unable to protect people against inflation, the Punjab government intends to ensure at least provision of products to them with right quality and quantity.

The steps in this direction include improving the efficiency of consumer courts and quality of products, besides sensitising buyers to the ways and means to seek protection against substandard products with exorbitant prices.

To get the desired results, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday asked the industries and home departments to submit proposals within two or three days so that necessary steps could immediately be taken for the welfare of people.

Officials, after the meeting with the chief minister, said to begin with the government would start monitoring working of the 11 consumer courts working in the province to ensure provision of speedy justice to the consumers.

The government would also try to make people aware that they (the courts) could provide them justice against substandard products.

One such court is working at each of the headquarters of the defunct divisions, and one each in Sheikhupura, Sialkot and Sahiwal.

The districts of the defunct divisions were attached to the courts at their headquarters level.

The officials said the government would also consider establishing a consumer court in every district.

They said the government would also devise means to check, under a crash programme, weights and measures so that people could get exact quantity of the commodities for which they were being charged highly.

“The prices of oil are skyrocketing. We cannot lower them, but we are going to ensure that petrol pumps do not under measure their products,” the officials said.

Over the years, they said, there had been no checking of weights and measures, giving a carte blanche to traders to plunder people by charging at will, and weighing or measuring less.

The officials said the government would also check the endemic food adulteration, and defective products, through administrative and legal channels, dealing sternly with those found to be responsible for them.

The officials also hinted at enhancing punishments for various related offences.

“We are going to be on the side of people, making them realise that we are out to ensure the availability of products to them bearing the exact quality and quantity for which they are charged,” the officials said.