CM orders for provision of quality essential items at fixed rates

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that provision of quality essential items at fixed rates is the joint responsibility of concerned departments, administration and government. He said that no effort should be spared in the provision of quality daily use items at fixed rates. He said that the collusion of profiteers, hoarders and extortionists will have to be eliminated. The Chief Minister directed elected representatives, concerned secretaries, commissioners and DCOs to visit markets regularly and monitor the supply, demand and prices of edible items on daily basis. He said that complete implementation on the prescribed price control mechanism should be ensured. He said that elected representatives, administration, police officers and officers of concerned departments instead of sitting in the offices should visit markets regularly to ensure provision of quality eatable items to the people at fixed rates.

He was presiding over a high level meeting with regard to reviewing prescribed price control mechanism for monitoring supply, demand and prices of essential items in the province today. Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Bilal Yasin, Dr. Farrukh Javed, Muhammad Shafiq, Special Assistant Arshad Jutt, Assembly Members, Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning & Development, concerned secretaries and senior officials attended the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that a number of factors of price-hike in the country, however, in the garb of these factors, the people cannot be left on the mercy of profiteers and hoarders. He said that instead of harassing street vendors, big fish should be net for ensuring provision of essential items at fixed rates. He said that on taking the real culprits to task, the poor street vendors will automatically correct themselves.

The Chief Minister said that the availability of essential items at fixed prices should be monitored on daily basis and the provincial monitoring committee should hold its meeting on daily basis at Civil Secretariat for this purpose. He said that the culture of hoarding and profiteering will have to be eliminated and reformation of the system of market committees is utmost essential. Shahbaz Sharif said that the comprehensive system evolved for the effective monitoring of prices of essential items would yield positive results only when it will be fully implemented. He directed Chief Secretary to review the price control system along with the concerned departments and all stakeholders and submit recommendations for ensuring effective implementation at the earliest.

The Chief Minister said that a comprehensive plan should also be evolved for the supply and demand of essential items and all concerned departments should be activated for this purpose. He said that Punjab is an agriculture province and it is called green basket of Pakistan but he lamented that often we are forced to import tomato and onions from neighboring country.

Shahbaz Sharif said that the project of kitchen gardening is of great importance for increasing the production of vegetables but no attention was paid to it. He urged upon the concerned departments to play their due role for effective implementation of kitchen gardening project. He said that Model Bazars are playing important role in providing necessary items to the people at cheaper rates. He said that a comprehensive plan should be evolved to set up model bazaars throughout the province besides evolving a strategy to convert 365 Ramzan Bazaars into permanent model bazaars.

The Chief Minister directed Secretary Agriculture to submit his recommendations within seven days for promoting star farming programme. While taking serious notice of the complaints regarding overcharging on petroleum products at various places of the province, Shahbaz Sharif directed to take stern action against the persons involved in sale of diesel and petrol on higher than the fixed prices.

Earlier, Secretary Industry while giving briefing regarding price control mechanism informed that a price control mechanism has been evolved for keeping an eye on the supply, demand and monitoring the prices of edible items. He told that District Price Committees have been mobilized. The roll of EDOs Agriculture Department in the monitoring process has been activated. He informed that retail cards will be issued for monitoring the prices of essential items and under an effective system, the prices of essential items will be monitored in all districts.