SIALKOT: The Tiger Force has come into action against artificial inflation and hoarding as the administration of Sialkot and Lahore cities conducted separate raids on different shops and stores.
After being spotted by Tiger Force volunteers, the district administration raided different go-downs and shops where the officials confiscated illegal stocks of flour, sugar and rice besides sealing the stores.
The actions were also carried out in different areas of Punjab capital Lahore where the raiding officials recovered more than 800 sugar sacks weighing 50-kilogram.
Besides seizing the illegal stocks of essential commodities, the administration registered First Information Report (FIR) against four hoarders and imposed heavy fines.
It emerged that Tiger Force volunteers visited different utility stores and shops in both cities as customers to monitor the prices of essential commodities. After getting reports of profiteering, responsible shopkeepers have faced action in term of fines and sealing of their shops.
A report regarding actions against hoarding will be directly forwarded to Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In another move, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar handed over responsibilities to provincial ministers, advisers and special assistants for keeping an eye over the prices of essential commodities in local markets and sahulat bazaars.
The CM’s principal secretary issued a notice containing the directives of CM Usman Buzdar for scheduling visits of sahulat bazaars to monitor the prices. The provincial legislators will present a report to the Chief Minister Office (CMO) after checking the prices of commodities in sahulat bazaars.
Moreover, the ministers, advisers and special assistants were also directed to establish open kachehris [courts] in different districts. They were also given directives to pay visits to schools, jails, police stations and hospitals in order to ensure the provision of relief to the citizens.
CM Usman Buzdar said that the incumbent government has adopted the agenda of providing more and more relief to its citizen and the provincial authorities will make maximum efforts for price controls besides showing no tolerance to hiking rates.
Earlier on Tuesday, PM Imran Khan had given the first task to the Tiger Force volunteers for discouraging hoarding while chairing a high-level session regarding the ongoing efforts for price controls.
The participants of the session decided to launch a pilot project for controlling inflation from the federal capital Islamabad. During its first phase, 9,000 shops in Islamabad will be monitored, whereas, Tiger Force volunteers, Commission Islamabad and deputy commission will joint spot the markets and shops involved in hoarding.
In phase-wise progress, the local authorities will start monitoring of rate lists and overcharging at all shops of the city while volunteers will spot hoarders and stocks of essential commodities more than its requirements in different markets.
After getting complaints from the volunteers, district administration will take immediate action against the responsible persons involved in overcharging and hoarding. The joint actions will be listed down in a report which will be presented directly to the prime minister.
It has been decided that heavy fines will be imposed for overcharging and failure to put up rate lists.