Punjab Chief Secretary (CS) Kamran Ali Afzal on Wednesday directed all deputy commissioners to take concrete steps to control prices of food items in the wake of rains and floods that had pushed rates up, besides keeping a close watch on the supply chain of vegetables, especially tomatoes and onions.
He gave this instruction while presiding over a video-link meeting of all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners, here at Civil Secretariat.
The chief secretary asked the officers to play an active role in stabilizing the prices of food items, especially vegetables and pulses.
He said that the import of tomatoes and onions would be encouraged to minimize the gap between supply and demand.
The chief secretary directed that special counters be set up in model bazaars to ensure the availability of tomatoes and onions at fixed rates and the demand and supply of food items, especially vegetables, be monitored on a daily basis.
He said that all price controls magistrates should be immediately mobilized in the field and no leniency should be shown to profiteers and hoarders.
He said that there was a need to work with more effort and passion in difficult situations.
