Provincial Minister for Planning and Development Malik Nadeem Kamran has ordered that availability of sufficient quantity of subsidised flour be ensured in open market as per directions of the Punjab chief minister.
He was chairing a meeting of cabinet committee on Ramzan Plan at Civil Secretariat on Tuesday. The minister said that decision to ban sale of flour in white bags was taken so that benefit of subsidised flour could be given to maximum number of people. He said that in view of unavailability of subsidized flour at some places, decision was taken to allow all flour mills in the province to sale subsidized flour in green bags.
Punjab Chief Secretary Capt (retd) Zahid Saeed directed the Secretary Food Department that process of providing subsidized wheat to flour mills, its grinding and supply to market be monitored properly. He ordered the officers to speed up crackdown on profiteers and hoarders. Arrangements at Ramzan bazaars be improved with a focus on provision of basic facilities and cleanliness there, he added.
The meeting was told that on the directions of the Punjab government price control magistrates have expedited crackdown on overpricing and adulteration across the province during the holy month of Ramzan. They conducted raids at 154,783 places, and lodged FIRs against 3,160 persons and got arrested 3,156 persons over profiteering. As many as 16,145,708 flour bags have been sold in 319 Ramzan bazaars across the province. Fruits and vegetables are available at fair price shops of Agriculture Department in Ramzan bazaars.
