Performance against profiteering reviewed

Lahore:Punjab Chief Secretary Major (Retd) Azam Suleman Khan chaired a meeting to review the performance of officers regarding monitoring of stocks of flour ghee and sugar mills to check hoarding and profiteering.

The meeting was attended by the additional chief secretary, administrative secretaries of different departments, Lahore division commissioner, whereas, the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners of other divisions and districts participated in the meeting through video link.

Asking the commissioners and deputy commissioners about the stocks at sugar mills in their areas, the chief secretary (CS) directed the officers to strictly monitor transportation and supply of the commodity to prevent its hoarding.

He also issued instructions regarding sale of the confiscated stock at the market price. The meeting reviewed performance of price control magistrates and district market committees. The industries secretary briefed the meeting that during the month of January price control magistrates carried out 218,375 inspections and imposed a fine of Rs 50.8 million for overcharging.

As many as 788 cases were registered and 744 profiteers were arrested in January, he said. The meeting was told that, in the campaign against hoarding, 1,614 places were inspected in January and 98 wholesalers were fined Rs 617,000 besides recovery of 7,500 kg ghee, 430 flour bags and 3,240 sugar bags. Two companies for Lahore and two for Rawalpindi and one each for Multan Gujranwala and Faisalabad have been hired for online delivery system and consumers are being provided with quality essential items at affordable rates on their doorstep in these cities. The CS directed the commissioner of Lahore division to personally conduct field visits to check prices of daily-used items.