‘Ensure cheap flour, sugar at Ramazan Bazaars’

LAHORE : On the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to give maximum relief to people during Ramazan, the Punjab government would provide sugar at a discounted price of Rs70 per kilogram in Ramazan bazaars across the province from today (Sunday).

Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal Saturday presided over a meeting at the Civil Secretariat to review the implementation of the Ramazan package, wheat procurement campaign, and measures to curb smuggling.

The chief secretary directed the officers to ensure abundant availability of 10-kilogram flour bags at the rate of Rs400 throughout the province. He mentioned that providing maximum relief to people during the month of Ramazan is a priority, adding that the prices of essential commodities should be checked in the open market regularly.

The chief secretary asked the relevant authorities to continue measures to control the smuggling of wheat and fertilizer and focus on monitoring of supplies of food items, especially fruits and vegetables ahead of Eid.

He lauded the performance of deputy commissioners in the wheat procurement drive. The divisional commissioners gave a detailed briefing to the meeting through a video link. The meeting was informed that flour and sugar were available in abundance in all the districts. The number of check-posts in bordering districts has been increased to curb the smuggling of wheat and fertilizer. The administrative secretaries of industries, food, information, director-general public relations, cane commissioner Punjab, and officers concerned attended the meeting while all the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated through a video link.

PFA: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has stopped the production of five famous cafes and imposed hefty fines on four restaurants in posh areas of provincial capital for failing to meet the food safety standards and quality parameters.

Under the ongoing anti-adulteration campaign, raids were conducted under the supervision of PFA Director General Shoaib Khan Jadoon at Mall 1, Main Boulevard Gulberg and MM Alam Road here on Saturday.

DG PFA said that the checking team imposed Emergency Prohibition Orders (EPOs) on Second Cup, Mocca Coffee, Ganache Cafe, Shagaf and Sasha’s to stop their production till further order.

DG PFA said that PFA took action against these big Cafes for using fungus-infested bread, bun, substandard cheese and inferior quality ingredients. Apart from that, food points failed to take satisfactory preventative measures to control pests and an abundance of cockroaches was witnessed in the kitchen during the raids, he added.

Similarly, Cafe Aylanto, Mandarin Kitchen, Cafe Zouk and Salt n Pepper were penalised with hefty fines over unsatisfactory arrangements regarding food safety and hygiene.

Jadoon said that the purpose of a special anti-adulteration campaign was to ensure quality, safety and standard in food during Ramadan. He said that PFA has been ensuring the implementation of a uniform policy for food industry from day first without any discrimination, whatever it is small or big.

He further said that PFA would continue to take action against those food businesses, which provide substandard food quality or do not follow the Punjab Pure Food Regulations.