SIALKOT:Deputy Commissioner Sialkot Adnan Mehmood Awan said on Friday that a decision had been made to tighten the noose around profiteers in the district and instructions in this regard had been issued to special price magistrates.
Addressing a meeting of special price magistrates, held under his chairmanship, he said all magistrates should continuously monitor prices of food items in their areas and take strict action against vendors selling commodities on prices higher than the fixed by the government.
The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner General (ADCG) Syed Asad Raza Kazmi, Assistant Commissioner (AC) Sialkot Ghulam Sarwar, Assistant Commissioner (AC) Sambrial Ahsan Cheema, Sub Registrar Urban Asma Khalil and District Officer (DO) Industries Rashida Batool.
The deputy commissioner said the price list should be displayed at a conspicuous places at all shops and carts. He said special price magistrates should also identify illegal encroachments and sanitation situation so that the quality of services could be improved through better monitoring. He said the municipal corporation and the district council should monitor the cattle markets, established for sacrificial animals within their limits.
System Network Administrator (SNA) Hafiz Zaheer Ahmed, while giving a briefing about the performance of 40 special price magistrates in Sialkot district this month, said that a total of 11,740 inspections were conducted during the last 15 days and 469 shopkeepers were fined a total of Rs 1,815,500 over profiteering and hoarding.
He said cases were registered against 25 people for violating the Price Act and 28 people were arrested on the spot while 48 shops were sealed.