Punjab CS orders crackdown on fertiliser hoarders

LAHORE: Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal on Friday directed all the deputy commissioners to intensify the ongoing crackdown on the dealers involved in hoarding and profiteering of fertilizers.

He issued this direction while presiding over a video link meeting of all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners. Speaking at the meeting, the chief secretary said that the crackdown must be continued on the pattern of administrative measures taken against sugar hoarding. He asked the officers to ensure a prominent display of prices of fertilizers at the shops in the form of banners. He said that urea fertilizer was available in abundance but artificial shortage was being created through hoarding.

The chief secretary said that those making money by creating an artificial shortage of fertilizers would be dealt with iron hands and the dealers would be blacklisted if they do not stop profiteering. He mentioned that no one would be allowed to exploit farmers, adding that hoarders were not only culprits of growers but the whole nation. He said that ample availability of urea fertilizer would be ensured for the wheat crop. All the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners attended the meeting through a video conferencing.