Minister concerned at price-hike

MULTAN: Punjab Minister for Energy Dr Akhtar Malik has expressed concern over price-hike and said it was damaging the performance of the government.

Addressing a meeting here on Saturday, the minister ordered a crackdown on hoarders besides monitoring prices in the market twice a week. He told that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had taken urgent notice about the growing inflation and assigned responsibilities to him to monitor price-hike in Multan.

The minister said that inflation was destroying the government’s reputation.

He ordered a crackdown on profiteers and said that 2.9 million tons of wheat had been imported while the government was also importing 3.0 million tons of sugar. There was no shortage of flour and sugar in the country, he claimed.

He expressed anger over the presence of encroachments outside the vegetable and fruit market and said that the Metropolitan Corporation and the Market Committee should take action against the encroachments.

The Punjab minister also ordered action against those who spread air pollution.

Deputy Commissioner Amir Khattak said that sales points would be set up for the supply of flour at fixed rates. He said that the official wheat quota for Multan was less than the last year. In Multan, he added, the Food Department had procured record wheat this year.