A meeting of the cabinet committee to review the progress on the Punjab government’s tactical plan for ensuring supplies of edibles to the public on subsidized rates under the Ramazan Packages was held today at Civil Secretariat Lahore. Provincial Minister for Planning and Development Malick Nadeem Kamran, Punjab Additional Chief Secretary Shamail Ahmad Khawaja, Special Secretary Agriculture Silwat Saeed and other senior officers from the relevant provincial departments participated in the meeting.
The meeting reviewed, in detail, the demand and supply of edibles in the Ramzan bazaars as well as in the open markets during the last six fasting days. 319 Agricultural Fair price Shops have also been established along with the Ramzan bazars and Model Bazars in the province. The meeting was informed that the prices of all commodities available in these fair price shops remained stable during the first trimester of Ramzan. The meeting expressed satisfaction over the quality of vegetables, fruits and cereals that were available at these bazaars.
The attendees of the meeting examined the Ramzan bazars, established in various cities of the province, through a video link in the central control room set up in the S&GAD Committee Room. A connection has been setup online with 37 District Control Rooms.
The meeting also reviewed various complaints of the consumers that were received through telephonic contact with the public and through special branch reports. The meeting then decided to take prompt action against the fruit vendors and the relevant officers in charge of the identified Ramzan bazaars where complaints of overpricing surfaced.
The Additional Chief Secretary Shamail Ahmad Khawaja directed all the field officers of the provincial government and the deputy commissioners of each and every district of the province to assure that the stock of subsidized items would not diminish.
