Punjab govt launches clampdown against sugar stockpiles

Several storage facilities have been sealed while fines worth millions of rupees have been imposed on hoarders

LAHORE: As part of a massive-scale crackdown against hoarders across 36 districts in Punjab, the provincial government has begun a search for sugar stockpiles.

Per sources, the cost of sugar reached Rs85 per kilogramme (kg) after hoarders created an artificial shortage to gain benefits. As a result, the Punjab government has launched a grand operation against sugar hoarders and action is being taken by the district management in various parts of the province, including Lahore.

As part of the drive, several storage facilities have already been sealed, while penalty worth millions of rupees has been imposed on hoarders.

The Punjab government also prepared a report based on the crackdown against hoarders which shows that 1,082 raids were conducted in different whole-seller warehouses across nine divisions. Per the report, the government has taken action against 86 shopkeepers, while cases were registered against seven of them. Besides, 28 warehouses and storage facilities have been sealed and a penalty of Rs156.5 million has been imposed on the hoarders.

The report also shows that around 82,153 bags of sugar weighing 50 kg, 2,000 tons of ghee, 700 bags of rice and 10,000 bags of wheat have also been seized from various mills on account of hoarding. The highest number of raids were conducted in Sargodha and Multan, however, only 400 bags of sugar could be recovered from Sargodha while nothing could be found in Multan. Meanwhile, 71 raids were carried out in Lahore through which 2,037 bags of sugar were recovered.

Out of the seized stock, the Punjab government has sold 2,900 bags in the open market across various districts of the province.

Sources revealed that to control the ongoing crisis, the Punjab government is not only directing its administration to take action against the hoarders but in the next phase of the crackdown, a subsidy of Rs15 billion will be given to Utility Stores on a federal level to control the prices of food items so that they could be sold on the government’s fixed-prices.

Even though the move of the government comes as a sign of relief for the public that had to bear the brunt of the artificially-created shortage, action against hoarders have been taken on a very small level whereas big sugar mills are still to be inspected.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2020.