Minister reviews steps to check artificial price hike

LAHORE:Provincial Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal presided over a meeting of taskforce for price control at CM’s office Sunday in which prices of essential items, steps being taken for checking artificial price hike and performance of Price Control Magistrates came under review.

Secretaries of departments concerned, DG Industries and senior officials attended the meeting while Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners also attended the meeting via video link across the province.

Aslam Iqbal while addressing the meeting said that earning due profit was a just right while making undue profit amounted to dacoity on the people’s rights. Profiteers will never be allowed to snatch the rights of consumers and the government will go to every limit to secure the people’s rights. He expressed his indignation over selling of essential items exceeding fixed prices and directed that administration of DG Khan should improve the prevailing situation forthwith. If prices are to be increased they can be elevated overnight and it takes months to decrease them and such practice will have to be changed. He said that prices of different brands of ghee had been fixed from Rs140 to 180 per kg after holding consultations with ghee manufacturers and strict action should be taken against those violating fixed prices. Special attention should be made on the prices of vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes and onions and monitoring should also be done on the prices of essential edibles, quality and its provision in 32 model bazaars across the province, he directed.

A report was also presented during the meeting about the steps taken by Price Control Magistrates. According to the report, 9,213 shops were raided across the province and 1,855 illegal profiteering cases surfaced; 273 cases were registered in which 158 persons were arrested and Rs4,226,800 fine was imposed.