LAHORE  - Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yaseen has said, in a bid to provide cheap vegetables and fruits to consumers, the Punjab government has decided to auction veggies and fruits through Auction Committees rather than the middle men. Strict action will be taken again retailers found in getting 100 per cent profit, he said.
While talking to The Nation here on Thursday, Bilal Yaseen said during auction process, the presence of Secretary Market, Assistant Commissioner Tehsildar or Vice Tehsildar and an official from Special Branch would be made mandatory and retailers could get only 15 to 20 per cent profit margin.
Minister further said that meetings, under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, are being held at Punjab Civil Secretariat on daily basis to take measures against hoarding and profiteering, adding that a minister along with DCO would visit markets and would suspend market committee officials found in any kind of corruption.
Minister further said that Punjab government is converting Sunday Bazaar into “Sahulat Bazaar” which would be held three times in a week. Campaign against hoarders, he said, has been accelerated and over 6,000 FIRs have, so far, been registered against profiteers while over Rs 10 million fines have been imposed on them.
Bilal hoped that with the stringent measures of Punjab government, profiteering would be reduced within three to four weeks and consumers would witness stability in the prices of vegetables and fruits, he concluded.