Lahore,(Parliament Times): The Punjab government, on Friday, directed all deputy commissioners across the province to launch an immediate crackdown against the hoarding of petroleum products, in line with instructions issued by the federal government.
The directives were issued during a high-level meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman at the Civil Secretariat. The meeting reviewed the availability and prices of essential commodities across the province.
The deputy commissioners were instructed to take prompt and strict legal action against those involved in the illegal hoarding of petroleum products. The Chief Secretary emphasised that such illegal practices would not be tolerated and that district administrations must ensure strict enforcement of relevant laws.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary also reviewed price control measures and stressed the need to further strengthen enforcement during the last ten days of Ramadan and ahead of Eid. He directed district administrations to intensify monitoring of markets to ensure the availability of fruits, vegetables and other essential food items at officially notified prices.
The Chief Secretary said that providing relief to the public from inflation and ensuring the sale of essential commodities at government rates was a fundamental responsibility of the administration, adding that negligence in this regard would not be tolerated. He also instructed price control magistrates to remain active in the field rather than in offices to ensure effective monitoring and to curb profiteering and hoarding.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary Home, Secretary Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Unit and the Additional Inspector General of Special Branch. All divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated in the meeting via video link.