LAHORE: The Punjab Industries, Commerce & Investment Department (PIC&ID) has issued a monitoring report regarding the sale of flour and sugar across the province, according to which 6,390,035 bags of 10 kg flour have been supplied so far in Ramadan bazaars across the province, Profit learnt on Sunday.
Regarding the sale of flour, the report further said that out of the above-mentioned bags of flour, 5,442,501 bags were sold at the rate of Rs375 per bag whereas on May 1 as many as 299,960 bags were distributed in Ramadan bazaars, of which 278,056 bags of flour were sold.
Similarly, regarding the supply, purchase and sale of sugar, the report indicated that so far 21,736,401 kg of sugar had been extracted from the sugar mills out of which 13,092,482 kg of sugar was sold while on May 1 as many as 969,982 kg of sugar was picked up from sugar mills and 894,259 kg of sugar was sold in Ramadan bazaars at Rs65 per kg.
The report also mentioned the price of poultry, eggs and the subsidy given in Ramadan bazaars, according to which 1,186,597 kg of chicken meat and 61,228 dozen eggs were sold in Ramadan bazaars so far whereas on May 1, chicken meat was sold at Rs339 per kg in Ramadan bazaars and Rs349 per kg in the open market. Eggs were sold at RS 137 in the Ramadan bazaars and RS 142 per dozen in the open market.
According to the report, 13 other items including onions, potatoes and tomatoes were sold at 25 per cent below the notified DC rates at the agricultural fair price shops in Ramadan bazaars, while the average prices of essential commodities in the open market were 20 kg of flour bag of Rs872, ghee Rs250 per kg, basmati rice 128, mutton 815, beef 413, chicken 352, dal chana 128, dal masur 136, dal mash 239, dal mung 194, sugar 85, fresh potatoes 46, tomato 24, onion Rs22 per kg, bread at Rs7, milk at Rs82 per liter and eggs at Rs145 per dozen.
An official of PIC&ID said that 1,201 price control magistrates were performing their duties to monitor the supply and demand, prices and quality of essential commodities during Ramadan.
“On May 1, the magistrates conducted 9,426 inspections. These inspections revealed 1,207 overcharging, hoarding and other violations on which 57 cases were registered and 51 persons were arrested. A fine of RS 1,845,900 was imposed on the violators whereas the highest fine of Rs198,000 was imposed for violations in Gujranwala district and the lowest fine was Rs1,000 in Jhang district. Similarly, 1,249 inspections were carried out to check the scales, 19 violations were found and legal action was taken against them,” he concluded.
