Daily Times

GUJRANWALA: The extraordinary hike in the prices of fruits and vegetables during Ramazan has irked the people while profiteers and market owners allegedly launched a ‘Ramazan profit drive’.

Meanwhile, ‘paralysed’ quality control checks permitted sale of substandard eatables. Allegedly, many market owners restricted the supply of goods and essential commodities to raise their respective prices.

The wholesale price of sugar has increased by Rs2.4 per kilo. The shopkeepers claimed that the sugar mill owners and profiteers have enough stock of sugar but they reduced the supply to increase the prices.

Meanwhile, the cost of pulses has been increased from Rs 5 to Rs 10 per kilo. The rate of spices has also escalated. Mutton is available at Rs 900 per kilo while the official price is Rs 650 per kilo. Similarly, price of beef is Rs 500 per kilo while the government set the price at Rs 350 per kilo. Milk is being sold at Rs 100 per litre against the set price of Rs 70 per litre. Other eatables including sugar, wheat flour and lentils are also sold at high rates.

Meanwhile, the district administration, Municipal Corporation and food department seem to act irresponsibly against the ‘illegal’ price hikes and neglected quality control. The departments have turned a blind eye to the matter. The citizens demanded the Punjab Chief Minister (CM) to visit Gujranwala and take appropriate measures against poor performance of the concerned departments and control price of essential commodities during the month of Ramazan.

Anti-corruption arrests Nikkah registrar

An anti-corruption team arrested a Nikkah registrar on Sunday for issuing a bogus marriage certificate and fabricating the respective record.

Reportedly, a woman namely Amtal Khatoon filed an application alleging that her brother Asghar Ali had died while his wife Shamin wanted to occupy the property of her deceased husband. Consequently, Shamin, along with Qari Khalid Shakar prepared a fabricated marriage certificate to modify birth certificates of her two sons which mention that they are heirs of late Asghar Ali while they were children of Shamin from her first husband.

Shamin transferred the ownership of property of late Asghar Ali to her sons.

The investigation got proved against the accused. Meanwhile, the anti-corruption team conducted an investigation that got proved against the accused and arrested him.

Assistant commissioner imposes fines on shopkeepers

The city assistant commissioner Rao Sohail Akhtar paid a surprise visit to many areas of the city and inspected Ramazan and open markets.

During inspection, he imposed heavy fines on many super stores including Imtiaz super store, Al-noor super store and dozens of other shopkeepers for violating the Ramazan act.

Meanwhile, cases were also registered against them in the respective police stations.

He warned other shopkeepers to follow the rate list issued by the government and sale the items accordingly with the set policies of the government.

Published in Daily Times, May 28^th 2018.