Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yasin has said that prices of essential items remained low in the holy month of Ramazan. He said this while presiding over a meeting of the supervisory ministry committee of Ramazan Relief Package at Civil Secretariat on Friday. He said that prices of onion, tomato and potato had been reduced by improving their supply, adding that the government had made sincere efforts to provide relief to the people.
He further said that price control was a continuous effort and teams should remain active in the field in this regard. Bilal Yasin said that a plan had been prepared to control inflation during last few days of the holy month of Ramazan and prior to Eid-ul-Fitr, adding that special focus was also being given to supply of essential items.
He directed the administration to ensure proper monitoring of prices and supply of chicken, onion, potato, tomato and other essential items.
The meeting was informed that fair price shops would remain operational until 27th of Ramazan. Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said that thousands of people were benefiting from fair price shops.
The Punjab Food Authurity’s enforcement teams disposed of a huge cache of spurious drinks during two different raids conducted in Defence Colony and on Sheikhupura Road. The authority also lodged first information reports (FIRs) against the accused in the respective police station here on Friday.
PFA Director General Muhammad Asim Javaid said that the teams raided a beverages unit and a warehouse on a tip-off of its vigilance cell about the production of fake carbonated drinks that were to be supplied to local shops and restaurants before Eid-ul-Fitr. He said that the authority took action against the food business operator (FBOs) after finding carbonated drinks samples results not up to the mark during the screening tests on the spot. He said that fabricated fizzy drinks of different popular brands were being prepared with loose colours, hazardous chemicals, artificial sweeteners and unclean tap water. He said that fake labelling was also being used on carbonated drinks bottles to deceive innocent citizens; however, the raiding team ruined their unholy ambitions by taking timely action.
The authority disposed of 11,540 litres of chemically contaminated drinks during two different raids, he added. The director general said that excessive consumption of carbonated drinks can lead to bone weakness and other diseases like diabetes.
He further said that PFA’s enforcement teams had been carrying out a crackdown round-the-clock against counterfeiters under the zero-tolerance policy by following the directions of Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yasin.
He has requested the public to report to PFA helpline 1223, Website or Facebook page against the enemies of public health or in case of any food-related complaint.
