LAHORE:The Punjab government has intensified its crackdown on profiteering and overcharging across the province, with price control magistrates conducting over 451,000 inspections and imposing fines amounting to Rs12.95 million during the last week. Secretary Food Safety and Consumer Protection Dr Kiran Khurshid, in a statement, said 414 people had been arrested and 113 FIRs registered over violations of official price lists and other price control regulations. She said 20,243 incidents of overcharging were reported during the week, while action was taken against 1,949 shopkeepers for failing to display official price lists. To ensure the sale of roti at government-notified rates, authorities inspected 72,173 locations and detected 4,591 violations involving overcharging, imposing fines exceeding Rs688,000. Dr Kiran Khurshid said enforcement action against overcharging in chicken meat sales also continued, resulting in fines of Rs831,500, registration of 12 FIRs and the arrest of 29 people.
Meanwhile, the PERA Force conducted 93,258 inspections in different markets, imposing fines amounting to Rs6,321,600. Eight business premises were also sealed over profiteering and other legal violations.
The secretary said, on the directions of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, price control magistrates and enforcement teams were continuing operations to ensure the availability of essential commodities at government-notified rates.
She said monitoring of market prices was being further strengthened to provide relief to the public, adding that indiscriminate legal action would continue against those violating official price lists and charging consumers above prescribed rates.