LAHORE:Chief Secretary Punjab Abdullah Khan Sumbal on Thursday directed all the deputy commissioners to ensure availability of commodities at fixed rates, saying that ranking for the districts would be done on the basis of their performance in the price control measures.
He gave this instruction while presiding over a video link meeting of deputy commissioners to review the prices and availability of commodities, at the Civil Secretariat.
The meeting decided to fully activate the District Consumer Protection Councils (DCPC) in the districts and intensify the crackdown on wheat and flour smuggling.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Secretary Abdullah Khan Sumbal said that the availability of food items at fixed prices was the primary responsibility of the administrative officers, adding that they should perform their duties diligently to provide relief to people from price-hike.
He directed the Industries Department to persuade the Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturing Association (PVMA) to bring down the prices of ghee. He asked the deputy commissioners to hold regular meetings of the District Price Control Committees and continue monitoring of the auctions in the markets to stabilize the prices of vegetables.
The chief secretary said that the Punjab government had issued orders to begin the crushing season from November 25.
He directed that the sugar mills be bound to start the crushing season from November 25 and as per law, the action be taken against the sugar mills that did not follow the orders.
In the meeting, it was decided to issue notices to 17 sugar mills that had not started boilers so far.
The Secretary Industries briefed the meeting that there were ample stocks of flour and sugar in the province and a 20 kg bag of flour was available everywhere at a discounted price of Rs 1295.
The Secretary Food, Special Secretary Agriculture, Cane Commissioner Punjab and officers concerned attended the meeting while all deputy commissioners participated through video link.