LAHORE: Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali on Tuesday directed the price control magistrates of the provincial capital to gear up vigilance and surveillance in curbing artificial inflation created by hoarders and profiteers.
He was chairing a meeting here at his office to review performance of price control magistrates. The deputy commissioner examined the individual performance of the price control magistrates from last 12 days and asked them to improve their performances. He warned the price control magistrates to improve their inspections and performance, otherwise, strict disciplinary action would be taken against them. He directed price control magistrates to regularly monitor prices of commodities, vegetables and fruits in vegetable markets besides taking action against hoarders.
Regular availability of flour in the city should be ensured while secretary union councils and patwaries would monitor the supply of flour in their respective areas, he instructed. Prices of food items should be displayed on conspicuous places so that consumers do not face any difficulty, he added.
The DC directed the officers concerned for better monitoring of the auction of fruits and vegetables in the early morning in the fruit and vegetable markets. He said that explanation would be sought against the price control magistrates who conduct less than 50 inspections in a day. Price control measures should be expedited with zero tolerance policy, he added. Earlier, the meeting was briefed that 284 cases were registered and 147 violators were arrested besides imposing more than Rs 2.7 million fine to the various shops during the last 12 days. Around 37,000 inspections were conducted during the same period while 935 shop owners were found involved in hoarding and overcharging.