Govt working for availability of essentials: ministers

The government machinery is fully active to ensure availability of quality essential items to people at affordable prices in the province and no negligence would be tolerated in this regard.

This was resolved at a meeting jointly chaired by four provincial ministers Mian Aslam Iqbal, Mohsin Leghari, Noman Langrial and Sami Ullah Chaudhry and Punjab Chief Secretary Major (retd) Azam Suleman Khan. The meeting reviewed the strategy to launch a crackdown on hoarding and sugar stocks in the province. The food secretary told the meeting that currently about 1.56 million metric tonne sugar was available in Punjab. The ministers expressed their satisfaction over the availability of sufficient stock.

However, the meeting decided that in view of the month of Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, all sugar mills and wholesalers would be bound to declare their stocks to stabilise prices. Stern action would be taken against violators, they warned.

Asking all commissioners and regional police officers (RPOs) to remain alert, the chief secretary said that information about those creating artificial sugar crisis had been obtained and a crackdown on hoarders and profiteers would be launched after getting orders from the government. The meeting also decided that the participating provincial ministers, their departments, experts and farmers would work jointly for crop management and they would devise a future strategy so that production could be enhanced. The meeting was also attended by the additional chief secretary home, administrative secretaries of industries, agriculture, irrigation, Lahore division commissioner, Lahore CCPO. Other divisional commissioners and regional police officers (RPOs) participated in the meeting through video link.