2,456 ‘profiteers’ detained in 3 months

Authorities recovered 20,000 bags of sugar, 302 bags of rice and 35,000kgs of hoarded ghee

LAHORE:

A crackdown against profiteers continued as the authorities concerned held 2,456 hoarders and adulterators in three months.

The authorities concerned also registered 2,523 cases, imposed Rs128 million worth of fines on violators for overcharging and recovered a huge quantity of hoarded sugar, rice, wheat, flour, and ghee.

According to a report presented at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Secretary (CS) Jawwad Rafique Malik, at the Civil Secretariat on Tuesday, teams recovered 20,000 bags of sugar, 302 bags of rice, 3,130 bags of wheat (each of 50kg), 3,629 bags (20kg) of flour and 35,000 kilogrammes of hoarded ghee during the raids in different cities in three months.

Similarly, Punjab Food Authority (PFA) sealed 3,118 units, got registered 148 cases, and imposed Rs150 million worth of fines during the drive against adulteration in the last three months. It also destroyed 7,000kgs of unwholesome meat and other adulterated items including 1.4 million litres of milk, 1,300kgs of spices, 2,300kgs of pulses, 10,000kgs of ghee, and 3,400 litres of water.

Speaking at the meeting, the CS remarked, “The perpetrators of food adulteration are playing with the lives and health of the people.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2020.