Price control magistrate would be more empowered: Bilal Yasin

Lahore: Provincial Minister for Food & Chairman Cabinet Price Control Committee Bilal Yasin has said that positive change will be brought by giving the powers of price control magistrate to District Food Controllers and subsidy on daily use items in critical bazaars on the pattern of Ramazan bazaars for providing relief to the common man. He said that it will also help eliminate hoarders and profiteers.

He said this while presiding over a meeting at Civil Secretariat Committee Room. Assembly members, Additional Chief Secretary, secretaries of Agriculture, Industry, Health, Food, Livestock and Transport departments and DG Food Authority were also present in the meeting.

The meeting was told that essential items will be provided to the people at cheaper rates through critical bazaars by benefiting the experience of Ramazan bazaars to get rid of profiteers creating artificial price-hike. Secretary Industry proposed that a committee should be constituted at provincial level for ensuring transparency and stability in the prices of edible items in the province. He further proposed that DCOs should hold meetings on fortnightly basis for checking the prices of eatable items in Sastay bazaars. He further said that powers of price magistrate should be given to District Food Controllers for keeping a vigilant eye on prices so that monitoring of general bazaars and critical bazaars could be carried out in a better manner.