Fair price shops to be set up in Punjab: minister

LAHORE:The Punjab government will establish fair price shops across the province for the provision of relief to the masses where vegetables would be sold at controlled rates.

The pilot project would be launched from Samanabad Town, constituency of provincial minister for industries and trade, Mian Aslam Iqbal.

The decision was made in a meeting chaired by Mian Aslam Iqbal while chairing a meeting here Thursday. Secretary Industries & Trade Capt (r) Zafar Iqbal, Secretary Agriculture and officers concerned from Urban Unit, Industries & Trade, Agriculture and Food also attended the meeting.

In the first phase, fruit and vegetable shops will be established where fruits and vegetables will be sold at controlled rates. According to the programme, selection of shops will be made according to rules and regulations in a transparent manner. Owners of selected shops will be given monthly salaries. The shopkeepers after buying commodities from the markets will sell fruits and vegetables according to fixed profit rates of the government.

Mian Aslam Iqbal, addressing the participants, said it was the government’s mission to facilitate the people.

We will also grant a mega package for the relief of masses during the coming month of Ramazan. An effective monitoring system will be formulated for ensuring implementation of the programme. All departments concerned should work in a coordinated and consolidated manner in order to ensure implementation of the programme, he directed.

He maintained that due to timely measures being adopted by the government prices of essential edibles had been reduced. Prices will be stabilised in the coming days, he vowed. The project of setting up fair price shops will be expanded to the whole province in phases and digital price boards will be installed at these shops.