LAHORE                    -                 Chief Secretary Punjab Major (Retd) Azam Suleman Khan on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review performance of officers regarding price control, check on hoarding and profiteering and monitoring of stocks of flour, ghee and sugar mills.

The meeting was attended by additional Chief Secretary, Administrative Secretaries of different departments including food, industries, agriculture, information, Commissioner Lahore Division, and Additional IG Special.

Branch and Chairman PITB whereas dvisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated through video conferencing.

Asking commissioners and deputy commissioners about stocks at sugar mills in their areas, the Chief Secretary directed the officers to strictly monitor transportation and supply of the commodity to prevent its hoarding. He also issued instructions regarding sale of confiscated stocks at market price.

The meeting reviewed performance of price control magistrates and district market committees. The Secretary Industries briefed the meeting that during the month of January price control magistrates carried out 218,375 inspections and imposed a fine of Rs 50.8 million for overcharging. As many as 788 cases were registered and 744 profiteers were arrested during this period, he added.

The meeting was told that ongoing campaign against hoarding, 1614 sites were inspected during the month of January and 98 wholesalers were fined Rs 617,000, besides recovery of 7,500 kg ghee, 430 flour bags and 3240 sugar bags.

The meeting was briefed that two companies for Lahore and two for Rawalpindi and one each for Multan, Gujranwala and Faisalabad had been hired for online delivery system and consumers were being provided quality edibles on affordable rates at their doorsteps in these cities.

On this occasion, the Chief Secretary directed the Commissioner Lahore Division to personally conduct

field visits to check prices of daily-use items.