LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) directed food industry’s representatives to establish their stalls in Ramazan Bazaars within two days and to provide their products on 20 percent discount from market rate.
While, the representatives of all food industries associations have agreed to this, they also met with with PFA Director General Noorul Amin Mengal and Provincial Minister for Planning & Development and Ramazan Bazaars Chairman Malik Nadeem Kamran at PFA Headquarters on Monday.
PFA DG Noorul Amin Mengal said that stalls of all the necessary food items will be set up providing milk, spices, meat, ghee and cooking oil. He has indicated that stalls accommodated directly by the companies will help maintain quality and low cost of the food items. He also added that the food items will be sold at least 20 percent less than the original price. Moreover, the sale of these food items will be limited and only available to the general public in order to control hoarding and profiteering. Furthermore, it is PFA’s mission to ensure safe and hygienic food, he added.
While talking to the participants, Nadeem Kamran has praised the plans of PFA. He further added that under the supervision of PFA DG, Food Safety Teams are already very vigilant. He iterated that direct involvement of companies in food stalls of their products will help lower the prices in Ramadan Bazaars. Kamran ensured food industry representatives of complete cooperation from the district and Ramazan Bazaar management.
Separately, 309 subsidised Ramazan Bazaars established by the government of the Punjab across the province providing 28 essential commodities on subsidised rates, are being monitored by Punjab Information Technology Board’s (PITB) System Network Administrators posted in various DC offices. While Command & Control Centre (CCC) in S&GAD monitors pricing, quality, quantity and availability of the respective items through a mechanism of price control devised by the PITB.
This was informed by PITB Chairman Dr Umar Saif during chaired a meeting. He was informed that among the essential entities fruits, vegetable, pulses, sugar, flour and vegetable oil were major items being provided to the general public in these bazars on much lower rates. PITB teams should ensure through the use of technology to promptly monitor the prices and availability of the essential commodities in these bazars, he added.
Published in Daily Times, May 22nd 2018.