Punjab announces three-year jail for hoarders

LAHORE: The Punjab government has issued gazette notification of The Punjab Prevention of Hoarding Ordinance, 2020.

Under this ordinance, hoarders can be punished up to three years imprisonments and 50 per cent amount of confiscated material will be deposited in national exchequer while the officer concerned could also check the godown of any dealer without a warrant.

Similarly, dealers would be bound to deposit their record of production, import and export, staff strength, sales and distribution with the officers concerned. In this regard, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar stated that the ordinance had been issued for taking stern action against those creating artificial crisis through hoarding.

Action will be initiated against those hoarding 41 essential items and whistleblower will be given 10 per cent of the deposited amount. Meanwhile, the hoarding offence will be non-bailable.

He said that hoarders were the public enemy and indiscriminate crackdown would be initiated against them because public interest was most dear to the government and any artificial price-hike will never be allowed.