SARGODHA, Feb 22 (APP):Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Food Safety and Consumer Protection Salma Butt visited the city to review arrangements made for Ramazan-ul-Mubarak.
She inspected Ramazan Sahulat Bazaar, Rehri Bazaar Shaheen Chowk and other markets, besides chairing a meeting at the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Office to review the performance of Price Control Magistrates.
Deputy Commissioner Hussain Ahmed Raza Chaudhry, in a briefing, informed that 75 Price Control Magistrates were active across the district. He said a DC counter had been established in every major mall to ensure the availability of essential food items at fixed prices, while daily action was being taken against overcharging.
The Special Assistant also visited the Ramazan control room set up at the DC Office and received a detailed briefing on monitoring mechanisms.
Talking to the media at Sahulat Bazaar University Road, Salma Butt said indiscriminate action was being taken against hoarders and profiteers. She said the government had initiated steps since December to stabilize chicken prices, which had helped maintain price stability during Ramazan. She added that continuous monitoring of bread, chicken and sugar prices was underway.
She said that under the Ramazan Nighaban Package in Sargodha district, relief cards were being issued to 83,879 deserving families, with a target to complete 100 percent distribution by the 10th of Ramazan. Under a Rs 42 billion provincial package, Rs 10,000 per family was being provided to 4.7 million families across Punjab to enable them to purchase essential items according to their needs.
Salma Butt further said that two “Mary’s Guest Tables” had been set up in each tehsil of the district, where around 10,000 people were being served iftar daily at 14 locations.
Expressing satisfaction, she said flour, vegetables, fruits and grocery items were available at subsidized rates at Sahulat Bazaars, while supply and demand were being closely monitored. She reviewed the quality and prices of fruits, vegetables, grocery items and chicken at various stalls and also interacted with citizens.
Earlier, the meeting reviewed the individual performance of Price Control Magistrates in detail and directed them to make field inspections more effective and ensure immediate fines and legal action against violators. She emphasized that artificial price hike and hoarding would not be tolerated.
She added that providing timely and dignified assistance to deserving families remained the top priority of the Punjab government, and that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif was personally supervising Ramzan arrangements across the province.