- Says provision of edible items to people at affordable rates is concerned departments’ responsibility, no effort should be spared in this regard
Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that best arrangements should be made as compared to past years for the facility of people, adding no effort should be spared for the stability of prices of edible items during Ramzan.
He said that provision of quality essential items on fixed price should be ensured and if a complaint is received in this regard, the concerned administration will be held responsible. The chief minister said that he will personally supervise the steps taken for provision of relief to the people in Ramzan.
He was presiding over a high-level meeting to review arrangements regarding Ramzan package, Ramzan bazaars, fair price shops and sehri and iftar dastarkhawans during Ramzan, here today.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that Punjab government is evolving a comprehensive programme for providing relief to the people in Ramzan during the current year, under which more than 300 Ramzan bazaars will be set up, while 27 model bazaars will also work as Ramzan bazaars throughout the province.
He said that provision of edible items to the people at affordable rates is the responsibility of concerned departments and no effort should be spared in this regard. He said that indiscriminate action will also be taken against the hoarders and profiteers; on complaints of hoarding, concerned commissioners, RPOs, deputy commissioners and DPOs will be responsible.
He said that dastarkhawans at sehri and iftar timings will be set up during Ramzan. He said that there should be no shortage of fruits, vegetables and pulses during the holy month, and the concerned departments should evolve a comprehensive mechanism through early steps. He said that fair price shops would also be set up by the Agriculture Department in Ramzan bazaars and the items at these shops will be available to the people at cheaper rates as compared to the market.
He said that the aim of steps taken during Ramzan is to provide relief to the common man. He said that special attention should be paid to quality, as well as prices, of essential items and no compromise would be made on the standard of daily use commodities. He directed that the prices of edible items in Ramzan bazaars should be displayed through digital boards, and their provision should be ensured for the citizens visiting these bazaars.
The CM also directed to constitute price control committees at the district level. Lahore Lord Mayor and Lahore Division commissioner will jointly preside at Lahore Price Control Committee, while mayor or chairmen district councils will preside at the meetings of price control committees along with deputy commissioners in other districts of the province.
Provincial Ministers Bilal Yaseen, Sheikh Alla du Din, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Naeem Akhter Bhabha, Member National Assembly Malik Afzal Khokar, Member Provincial Assembly Taufeeq Butt, chief secretary, additional chief secretary (Home), acting IG police, Lahore Division commissioner, Lahore Lord Mayor, secretaries and other high-ups of concerned departments attended the meeting, whereas Provincial Minister Asif Saeed Manais, MPA Waheed Gul, Agriculture secretary and Finance secretary participated in the meeting through video link.
