Punjab Minister for Trade & Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal has said that substantive relief will be provided to the common man by strengthening price-control mechanism and reiterated that artificial price-hike will be overcome by the government. He said this on Monday while presiding over a meeting of the taskforce on price-control at Civil Secretariat in which different matters including performance of price-control magistrates, prices of essential items and price-control mechanism were reviewed.
The meeting decided to monitor the prices of 18 essential items including flour, sugar and ghee in all districts of the province.
While addressing the meeting, Mian Aslam Iqbal said that it is time to perform practically than to do any lip-service; he warned and directed the administration to give solid results. He said that implementation on the price-control mechanism should be ensured in toto. The administration should ensure the sale of 20-KG flour bag at Rs.808, he said.
The Minister said that huge subsidy was being given on wheat and its reward should reach to the common man. In future, no district administration will increase prices without taking industries department into confidence, directed the minister. He said that a quarterly price-review the mechanism should be devised and concerned officials should be present in vegetable markets in the morning.
Mian Aslam said that prices and toll-free numbers should be displayed at panaflex of a specific size at every shop. We have to work with vigour and zeal for the welfare of less-privileged segments of the society, he maintained. A provincial level price-control authority will be constituted to control the prices, concluded the minister.—INP
