Provincial Industries & Trade Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal presided over a meeting of Taskforce for Price Control at CM Office today in which matters pertaining to monitoring prices of essential items, performance of price control magistrates and their training affairs were reviewed. Secretary Industries & Trade, Secretaries of concerned departments and high officials participated in the meeting. Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners across the province also participated in the meeting via video link. Mian Aslam Iqbal while addressing during the meeting said that prices of essential edibles are gaining stability due to sincere and dedicated efforts of government. All concerned departments and officers should keep up their hard work for further lowering down prices of essential edibles, he stressed. Hoarders should be brought to book under Hoarding Act and those profiteers not refraining from profiteering should be sent to jails. He further directed that display of panaflexes for prices of essential items should be ensured on all shops. Strict action should be taken relating to complaints arising due to profiteering and complainant should be informed about action being taken on the said complaint, he directed. Provincial Minister while showing his concern overselling of sugar and ghee exceeding fixed prices further directed that administration should bring the situation under control and ensure selling of essential items on fixed prices. He also commended efforts of Sahiwal division administration with regard to bringing stability in the prices of essential edibles. Except notified magistrate no official should visit market places to monitor prices otherwise stern disciplinary action will be taken against him, he directed. Performance of price control magistrates to monitor prices of essential items across the province was also presented in the meeting the previous day. Price control magistrates conducted raids on 8339 shops to monitor prices throughout the province the previous day. 1546 complaints relating to profiteering were surfaced and 126 cases were registered in which 83 persons were arrested and fines amounting to Rs29 lac, 28 thousand and six hundred were also imposed.
