The Punjab government has made 171 Sahulat bazaars fully functional to ensure the provision of daily use items to the people at reasonable prices.
Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the Punjab government to ensure the availability of essential commodities like sugar and flour at their fixed price in the whole Province.
Now, as per the orders of the Punjab government, field officers to commission “Sahulat Bazaars” will take indiscriminate action against the flour mills selling government quota wheat in the market and against sugar mills involved in hoarding. The directions were given at a meeting held on Saturday, supervised by the Punjab chief secretary at the Civil Secretariat.
وزیراعلیٰ پنجاب @UsmanAKBuzdar کا عوام کو ریلیف دینے کیلئے احسن اقدام
— Government of Punjab (@GovtofPunjabPK) October 19, 2020
▪︎وزیراعلیٰ نے لاہور کے بعد پنجاب کے دیگر شہروں میں سستے سہولت بازار لگانے کی اصولی منظوری دے دی۔
▪︎ایڈیشنل چیف سیکرٹری لوکل گورنمنٹ طاہر خورشید کو سستے سہولت بازار لگانے کیلئے فوری اقدامات کی ہدایت۔ pic.twitter.com/uYiip19X4v
The additional chief secretary, additional chief secretary (Home Department), administrative secretaries of departments, Lahore commissioner, additional IG (Special Branch), and police officers attended the meeting. All divisional commissioners, RPOs, deputy commissioners, and DPOs participated through video link.
The meeting aimed to set up a price control cell at the provincial level. The chief secretary said in the meeting that administrative officers must ensure implementation of fixed prices at all costs and no negligence should be accepted in any condition. He said this is the only way to follow the directions of Prime Minister and Punjab Chief Minister to control price hike and provide relief to the people.
He further said that Sahulat Bazaars at the tehsil level should be fully activated and essential commodities like sugar and flour should be available at discounted rates. He also said that it should be directly sold at the platforms of farmers at bazaars by the growers so that middlemen would have no involvement in it.
“The officers should keep a strict check on the prices, demand, and supply of food items in the Sahulat Bazaars as well as in the open market,” he said.
“The performance related to price control would be reviewed on a daily basis and in case of poor performance, the deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner concerned would be held accountable,” he added.
