Upping the ante: ICT clamps down on profiteers, food outlets

Health Department also launched a campaign against the sale of spurious drugs on July 17.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad Capital Territory administration has imposed fines on profiteers operating in various markets of the city during the first two weeks of Ramazan for not displaying food item rate-lists in their shops.

Special magistrates conducted raids in the capital’s markets and issued Rs745,000 worth of fines to profiteers for over-charging consumers, according to Islamabad’s Deputy Commissioner Amir Ali Ahmed. Before the start of Ramazan, the city administration had constituted special price checking teams headed by the magistrates to conduct daily raids in the capital’s urban and rural areas.

Ahmed said that the teams have raided G-9 Markaz — popularly known as Karachi Company — Aabpara Market, Bhara Kahu, G-11 Markaz, F-10 Markaz and F-11 Markaz among others.

The shopkeepers who were found to have overcharged customers were provided the rate lists before Ramazan and had been directed by the city administration to ensure their implementation.

Similarly, the city administration’s Food Department Director Chaudhry Afzal confirmed that 200 bakeries had been inspected during the same time period, resulting in 50 food outlet owners being served notices for selling substandard items.

Afzal added that the practice would continue till the end of Ramazan to ensure food standards are adhered to.

Meanwhile, the city administration’s Heath Department also launched a campaign against the sale of spurious drugs on July 17 and has thus far sealed four medical stores for violating the Drug Act 1976.

Islamabad Additional Drug Inspector Dr Najeeb Durrani said that during the inspections, it was found that 24 sale outlets were functional without qualified persons, while another 24 outlets were issued notices for failing to display the mandatory temperature charts on their refrigerators.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 30^th, 2013.