Price monitoring: Poor resources preventing effective monitoring, says PCM

Industries minister says magistrates should do their job regardless

LAHORE: Many price control magistrates say they are struggling to perform their duties at Ramazaan Bazaars in the absence of resources needed for the purpose.

Through a special notification, the provincial government has given additional charge of first class magistrate to tehsildars and naib tehsildars of the Revenue Department for performance of price control duties at Ramazan Bazaars across the province.

Speaking to The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to talk to the media, some magistrates said they had not been provided with resources needed to visit Ramazan Bazaars.

A price control magistrate said most magistrates needed to cover 30 to 50 km a day. He said he had not been provided with a vehicle to visit Ramazan Bazaars in his jurisdiction. He said he had faced awkward situations on occasions when shopkeepers refused to recognise his authority because he did not drive to the bazaar in an official vehicle. “We call ourselves magistrates on foot. The government thinks we can roam around the city on foot to control prices,” he said. He said on occasions he was tempted to file a false report without visiting any bazaar to monitor prices.

Another magistrate said the government was giving a subsidy of millions of rupees for provision of food items at Ramazan Bazaars but it seemed that appointment of price control magistrates was just eyewash. He said the magistrates were also facing problems coordinating with the police for the raids. “If I need to a constable to accompany me during a raid, I have to go to the police station and check if one of the constables is available to come with me. I have to arrange transport for him as well as myself,” he said.  Agriculture Minister Farrukh Javed said most officers performing duties as price control magistrates had been provided with official vehicles. Still, he said, he would look into the matter and to see if some officials were carrying out monitoring duties without vehicles.

However, Industries, Commerce and Investment Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq said tehsildars and naib tehsildars shouldn’t be so thin-skinned that they cannot visit Ramazan Bazaars without official vehicles. “They have been authorised to monitor prices. They should do their job responsibly and honestly,” he said. “Do they expect us to buy new vehicles for them to visit Ramzaan Bazaars? They have to conduct inspection visits not roam around the city,” he asked.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Directorate General of Public Relations on Saturday claimed that price control magistrates were performing duties as per directions. It said fines imposed on vendors caught overcharging customers were highest in Multan district (Rs292,000). The lowest amount of fines imposed for such violations was Rs7,100 in Rajanpur district.

The statement said 1,756 price control magistrates were performing duties in 2,128 markets across the province. As many as 1963 vendors were facing legal action for overcharging and 124 for adulteration and other violations, it said. It added that 433 had been arrested and Rs2,384,104 collected in fines in the crackdown so far.  The statement said that 1,386 raids had been conducted in Lahore and Rs84,000 fines collected from vendors found violating the rules. As many as 121 FIRs had been registered and 204 arrests made, it added. It said raids had been conducted at 2,164 shops to inspect weights and measurement tools. It said violations were found at 254 places. As many as 151 suspects were arrested.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2016.