CM Mahmood Khan orders officials to make price control mechanism efficient

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Monday directed the officials to set separate rates for each variety of flour, pulses and other varied items, to make the price control mechanism efficient.

He said the relevant committees should be sensitized to ensure implementation of rates fixed by the government. Mahmood Khan said this while chairing a meeting which reviewed the price control mechanism in the province and the reasons for the price hike of food items in different districts. The chief minister directed to ensure the implementation of fixed rates for goods/food items and made it clear that all deputy commissioners should regularly convene meetings of price control committees for pricing.

He agreed to the proposal of expanding Agriculture Market Act and the market committee to all the major districts and hoped the activating the Market Act and committees at the district level would benefit both agriculture and the public at large. The meeting at Chief Minister’s House was attended by relevant officials. The participants were informed about actions against hoarding, adulteration and black marketing in the province.

The meeting was informed that 160 sites had been identified under the Farmer’s Market Initiatives, out of which 133 markets had already been established. The Agriculture Market Act and the market committee is currently active in Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan which will be expanded to other major districts.

The chief minister agreed to the proposal and said that the Market Act and the market committee would be activated for all major districts in the first phase. He said that fixing and implementing realistic rates for food commodities is more essential to urgently give relief to the public.

The chief minister directed the officials to regularly review and report on market rates set in different districts of the province. He directed strict vigilance to prevent the export of flour and its allied products and said that measure should be taken against the hoarder.