Govt committed to weeding out overpricing during Ramzan

 The Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) and dozens of its officers under the supervision of Deputy Commisioner Captain (retd) Mushtaq Ahmad have been conducting inspections and leading raids in their assigned areas and markets all over Islamabad since the beginning of Ramzan. The drive to keep an overall check on profiteers and those who sell substandard food items is undertaken after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar directed the local administration to take stern action and spare no one involved in such activities.

Since the beginning of Ramzan, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Mushtaq Ahmad himself led many raids along with Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Abdul Sattar Aisani in various sectors and markets of the capital. More than 1,100 shops have been inspected in the first few days of Ramzan; a fine exceeding a million rupees have been imposed so far on shopkeepers found guilty of overpricing and selling of substandard food items. Warnings have been issued as well as dozens of shopkeepers have also been sent to judicial lockup.

It was witnessed in the previous year that during the month of Ramzan, the prices of many food items were increased by shopkeepers on their own. Despite the price fixing of many items by the government during the holy month, the residents of Islamabad were at the mercy of profit hungry shopkeepers.

This year, the ICT administration with their operation against those who violate the price-fixing mechanism and sell substandard food items to public at large has reinstated the confidence of people in the administration. Hundreds of random raids in various shops of Islamabad has greatly improved the situation in the capital when it comes to prices and standard of edibles.

However, the ICT administration has focused on sectors of the capital and yet to take a stern action in rural and adjacent areas of Islamabad that includes Chak Shahzad, Chatta Bakhtawar, Taramri, Tarlai, Khana Pull, Sanama Chowk, Ghauri Town and other societies and towns in Islamabad. The residents of these areas expect that the ICTA will visit their vicinities and stem out the illegal profiteering and selling of substandard food items.

“We are thankful to the ICT administration. Their raids, warnings and imposition of fine on the profiteers, wrongdoers and those who sell substandard and unhygienic food items during the Ramzan have greatly improved the self-created inflation on many items. I request them to continue with their good efforts and not give in to any sort of pressure. Thumbs up, ICTA,” commented Durr-e-Shahwar, a teacher.

The Assistant Commissioners Shoaib Ali, Jawad Muzaffar, Hasan Cheema and special price magistrates are also conducting routine raids to ensure prices and quality standard of food items.

In continuation of the efforts made by ICT administration, the officers of ICT administration including ACs, MICs and special price magistrates under the supervision of Capt. (retd) Abdul Sattar Isani, ICT ADC actively took actions against the profiteers for overcharging in selling daily routine commodities.

Today, 622 shops were randomly inspected in ICT, out of which 247 have been fined amounting to Rs 518,000 and 13 persons were sent to judicial lockup. Since 1st Ramzan, 1,119 persons have been fined of Rs.20,63,400.

The ICT DC and ADC (G) are continuously supervising the inspections and are monitoring the complaints received from different localities of Islamabad so that grievances of residents of Islamabad are redressed.