Punjab CS Orders Strict Enforcement of Official Price Lists at Shops

By Dr Ansab Ali | Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE: In a decisive move to reinforce price control measures across Punjab, Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman on Thursday took serious notice of the failure to display official price lists in several districts and directed deputy commissioners to ensure prominent display and strict implementation of government-notified rates.
The Chief Secretary flagged the non-display of official rate lists at shops in Lahore, Faisalabad, Bahawalnagar and other districts. The instructions were issued during a high-level meeting chaired by him to review price control measures across the province.
During the meeting, officials conducted a detailed assessment of prices of 16 essential commodities, including vegetables, fruits, flour, sugar and ghee. All divisional commissioners were directed to submit daily reports on price control operations.
Zahid Akhtar Zaman stressed that deputy commissioners — who are responsible for fixing prices of essential food items at the district level — must ensure effective enforcement and visible display of the notified rates at retail outlets.
He observed that discrepancies between notified prices in certain districts were not due to supply shortages but rather administrative weaknesses. District administrations were instructed to maintain close coordination with relevant provincial departments to ensure price stability and uniform implementation of price control policies.
The Chief Secretary further stated that, on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, monitoring responsibilities have also been assigned to the Special Branch and the Urban Unit.
The Special Branch has shared a list of 607 suspected hoarders with district authorities, directing them to take immediate and firm action to safeguard consumer interests.
The meeting was briefed in detail by the Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Unit and the Additional Inspector General of Special Branch. The Secretary Food Safety, Director General Food Punjab, Director General PERA and other senior officials attended the session, while all divisional and deputy commissioners joined via video link.