Punjab: DCs asked to monitor fruit market auction, surveillance staff

LAHORE: The Punjab government has instructed the deputy commissioners to ensure prominent display of price lists as well as deployment of food safety, district administration and Pera force to ensure provision of food items at fixed rates.

They will also monitor the auction process in fruit and vegetable markets to stabilise fixed prices during Ramazan.

Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman and Food Safety and Consumer Protection (FS&CP) department secretary Dr Kiran Khurshid held separate meetings on Thursday to ensure quality food items to people at discounted prices across the province.

The chief secretary instructed all divisional commissioners to submit daily reports on price control operations. He stressed that the deputy commissioners — who are responsible for fixing prices of essential food items at the district level — must also ensure effective implementation.

Special Branch identifies 607 suspected hoarders; CS solicits daily report on price control from commissioners; CM monitors Ramazan bazaars system

He also took note of the failure to display official price lists in several districts including Lahore, Faisalabad and Bahawalnagar.

The meeting also conducted a detailed assessment of the prices of 16 essential commodities, including vegetables, fruits, flour, sugar and ghee.

The chief secretary said the discrepancies between notified prices in certain districts were not driven by supply shortages but reflected administrative weaknesses. The district administrations were directed to maintain close coordination with relevant provincial departments to ensure price stability and uniform enforcement.

He said monitoring responsibilities had also been assigned to the Special Branch and Urban Unit and added that the Special Branch had shared a list of 607 suspected hoarders with district authorities, with instructions that immediate and firm action be taken to protect consumers.

In a separate meeting, FS&CP secretary Dr Kiran Khurshid stressed that the implementing forces should take strict action against hoarders and those charging undue profits. She said the department had also ensured that the food items from 74 Ramazan Bazaars would be delivered to citizens free of cost within the radius of five kilometers of each facility.

The secretary said the enforcement teams should monitor that the food items should be sold at 10 per cent less than the prices in the open markets.

The meeting was told that the Punjab Food Authority representatives would remain deployed at Ramazan Nigehban Dastarkhwan, being managed by philanthropists, and monitor quality of food at the facilities. Some 1,216 dastarkhwan have been established in 152 tehsils of the province, where poor and deserving persons are being offered Sehri and Iftar.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday visited the Punjab Sahulat Bazaar Authority office and reviewed the monitoring system for Ramazan bazaars set up across the province.

During her visit, she inspected the authority’s provincial control room and also made a live call to a customer at the Mian Plaza, Johar Town, Ramazan Bazaar, to get feedback about the prices of the items on sale and facilities being offered to the visitors.

She inquired about the rates of vegetables, including potato, onion, ginger and spinach, and also inspected the price lists, cleanliness arrangements and overall management of the the bazaar.

During her visit, officials briefed the chief minister that a central monitoring system had been established for the 75 Nigehban Ramazan bazaars across Punjab, including 49 permanent Sahulat bazaars, 15 mobile “Sahulat on the Go” units and 11 district bazaars, along with free home delivery service being offered.

The chief minister was informed that more than 1,400 CCTV cameras had been installed in these bazaars, ensuring round-the-clock monitoring through multiple screens at the control room, where officers track prices, quality of fruits and vegetables and resolve overcharging complaints promptly.

Under a 24/7 feedback mechanism, around 600 customers are contacted daily, while a dedicated helpline (0308-0800222) has also been established.

She was also informed that Sahulat bazaars were currently functional in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Gujrat and Rawalpindi.

Ms Nawaz said essential commodities were being provided at rates lower than the official DC prices, adding that digital monitoring and free home delivery services are helping reduce crowding in these markets during Ramazan.

Meanwhile, the CM directed the authorities concerned to tighten security arrangements across the province during the holy month.

She ordered deployment of additional personnel at mosques, Imambargahs, other places of worship, besides bazaars, markets and other public places.

Instructions were also issued for the installation of more CCTV cameras, walk-through gates and searchlights to ensure foolproof security.

The CM directed the police to enhance patrolling, snap checking and search operations in and around places of worship. She also ordered the formulation of a three-layer security plan at sensitive locations for Friday prayers and Taraweeh gatherings, using barriers and barbed wires.

Ms Nawaz said the protection of life and property of the public would be ensured at all costs during Ramazan.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2026

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