Officials in Punjab told to escalate crackdown on hoarders

LAHORE: The Punjab government has directed the officers concerned to escalate the crackdown launched on hoarders and profiteers and no leniency should be given to the hoarder mafias.

The orders were issued by Punjab Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal while chairing a meeting held to review provision of essential edibles, their prices and monitoring. He took a strict notice of the complaints regarding price hike and unavailability of flour at a few places. He inquired from the officers why the complaints relating to unavailability of essential edibles and price hike came to surface in spite of availability of essential commodities in surplus quantities in the market.

He asserted that the PTI government would not allow price hike and other mafias to exploit the masses in this hour of difficulty at any cost. The minister directed the district administration and the departments concerned to keep a strict vigil on the provision of essential items and their sustained prices in their respective districts. It is time to extend help to those facing troubles due to coronavirus pandemic, he urged.

Aslam Iqbal directed the industries and other departments concerned to work in a unified and proactive manner so as to rid the masses of the cruelties of price hike mafias. No negligence will be tolerated, he warned the officers.

He assured that the PTI government was taking every step for safeguarding the health and lives of the masses. The Insaaf Imdad Programme amounting to Rs10 billion is being launched for extending financial assistance to the deserving and needy people, he said.

Food items and cash assistance will be provided to those depending on daily wages at their doorstep. The affluent should extend maximum help to the destitute in this hour of need and trouble. “With the grace of Allah Almighty along with collective cooperation of the masses and hard work of departments, we will definitely defeat coronavirus.”