Administrative officers to control artificial price hike : CS Punjab Jawad Rafiq Malik

Lahore : The provision of daily-use commodities to people at the prices fixed by the government is the prime responsibility of administrative officers and any negligence in this regard will not be tolerated at all.

These views were expressed by the Provincial Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal while addressing a meeting held to review the mechanism of pricing of edibles and steps being taken to eradicate locusts in the province. Minister for Agriculture Malik Noaman Ahmad Langrial, Chief Secretary Punjab Jawwad Rafique Malik, Senior Member Board of Revenue Babar Hayat Tarar, administrative secretaries of various departments and officers concerned attended the meeting whereas divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated through video link.

The meeting reviewed the strategy for fixing prices of daily-use commodities, especially 10 essential food items, and deliberated on a proposal to fix prices of ghee, sugar flour, pulses, fruits, vegetables, chicken, mutton, and beef etc quarterly. It was decided that a committee would be set up to prepare recommendations on the mechanism to determine the prices of commodities every quarter.

The Chief Secretary asked the officers to keep a strict check on the prices of eatables even after Ramadan. Price lists should be displayed prominently and shops of violators should be sealed, he directed.

Later, the meeting reviewed the latest situation of locusts in the province and expressed satisfaction over the steps being taken for the eradication of the pest.

The Chief Secretary was informed that timely measures helped protect crops on a vast area from swarms of locusts. It was decided that the vehicles of different departments that are not in use due to coronavirus restrictions would be utilized in the ongoing locust combat operation and help will also be sought from Lambardars, patwaris, mosques prayer leaders (imams) and local communities to bring locusts under control.

Senior Member Board of Revenue Babar Hayat Tarar briefed the meeting that Locust Combat Operation is underway in the affected areas of the province and so far about 147,000 hectares have been sprayed and surveillance of 75,463 hectares in the affected districts have been completed.

He said that a sufficient quantity of pesticides is available in stocks and it is being provided as per requirement. He said that 64 vehicle-mounted sprayers, 868 power, and 317 manual spray machines are being used for spraying pesticides while 244 survey, 965 other vehicles, and necessary machinery are also in use.