Ministers highlight Ramazan package progress, steps to check price hike

LAHORE, Mar 16 :Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said on Saturday that for the first time in the country’s history a step had been taken to provide Ramazan hampers at doorstep of more than 6.4 million families in Punjab.
Addressing a press conference along with Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yaseen here at DGPR, she said that flour, sugar, rice, gram flour and ghee were included in Ramazan hampers.
She said that the ‘Nigheban Ramazan package’ and model bazaars were running simultaneously to facilitate the maximum number of people. She said model bazaars had been set up in 15 districts of Punjab where model bazaars were not set up previously, adding that agriculture fair price shops had been established in 25 districts of Punjab.
Azma Bukhari said that essential items were available in these model bazaars at 25 percent less rate than the open market. She said that price control magistrates were discharging their duties in field after getting training and they were being monitored through a dashboard.
She said, “Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz believes in mitigating the sufferings of the people.”
Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yaseen said that there was no single complaint related to the quality of items included in Ramazan hampers. He said that vendors which were engaged by the district governments had been clearly told that if there was any complaint related to the quality of items, action would be taken against them as per law.
He said that by today 50 percent target of distribution of Ramazan hampers had been completed and the remaining would be completed by the end of the holy month. Bilal Yaseen said that before the start of Ramazan onion was selling at Rs 350 per kg and today it was available at Rs 250 per kg and in the coming days it would further reduce to Rs 200 per kg.
The auction process of onion, tomato and potato is being monitored, he added.
He said that in Ramazan bazaars onion was being sold at price less than Rs 150 per kg.
Bilal Yaseen said that 1,400 notified price magistrates had carried out almost 300,000 inspections in four days of Ramazan and 27,000 to 28,000 violations were found.
He further said that 2,200 to 2,300 violators had been arrested as the Punjab CM had clearly directed to take stern action against violators. “It has been made mandatory for each price magistrate to carry out 50 inspections. In the coming days, prices of main essential items would further reduce and they would be available at reasonable prices,” he added.
He said that the quality and quantity of 13 items at fair price shops would also be maintained.