LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar directed the DeputyCommissioners to initiate a massive crackdown against the hoarders and allof those responsible for creating artificial price hike.
He issued these directions while presiding over a meeting at his office onWednesday in which steps taken for the control of prices were reviewed indetail. The Chief Minister reiterated that strict action would beinitiated against the hoarders.
The CM directed the authorities concerned to register cases againsthoarders and their stock be confiscated. He said the sale of essentialitems according to official rate lists must be ensured. Jail is the rightplace for the hoarders, he added. He directed the administrative officersto personally monitor the price control steps and asked the Commissioners and DCs to monitor the situation. Hoarders and illegal profiteers do notdeserve any leniency, he maintained.
He said that proactive work had to be done for giving genuine relief to thepeople through stern action against the elements creating artificial pricehike.
Usman Buzdar made it clear that those who do not work would not remain ontheir posts. He said that lame excuses would not be helpful with regard toimplementation of price control and no negligence would be tolerated. Heordered to set up monitoring cell at CM Office adding that he would personally monitor the price control mechanism.
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He said that prices would be directly monitored from markets through PITBvans which had also been directed to provide necessary help to the linedepartments in this regard.
He said that officials of concerned departments should personally monitorthe auction process in vegetable markets.
Provincial Ministers Mian Aslam Iqbal, Hashim Jawan Bakhat, SamiullahChaudhry, Naoman Langrial, Chairman Price Control Committee Ch. Akram, ACS,IG Police, Commissioner and DC Lahore and others attended the meeting whileDivisional Commissioners attended the meeting through video link. SecretaryIndustry gave a briefing about the steps taken for price control andprices of different items.
