Price control magistrates conduct over 427,000 inspections

Between September 14 and 20, 2026, price control magistrates in Punjab conducted over 427,000 inspections of markets and businesses, according to Dr Kiran Khursheed, Secretary of Food Safety and Consumer Protection. These inspections were carried out by 1,634 magistrates to monitor essential commodities' prices and curb overcharging and profiteering. As a result, fines totaling over Rs 114.95 million were imposed.

Three hundred and thirty-four individuals were arrested, and 30 businesses were sealed during the operations. Dr Khursheed reported that more than 5,000 cases of profiteering were discovered during food item inspections. Penalties were imposed on those found guilty of overcharging, along with fines.

In terms of bread prices, Rs 640,000 in fines were issued, with 26 FIRs registered and 70 arrests made. When checking chicken prices and sales, Rs 220,000 in fines were issued, and six cases were registered. For flour, prices were examined at 13,101 locations, where 556 cases of overcharging were found. Eight thousand nine hundred and two inspections were conducted for tomato prices, resulting in 797 cases of profiteering and fines of Rs129,000.

Inspectors also monitored rice and pulse prices, conducting 15,388 checks for basmati rice and finding 775 cases of profiteering. Similarly, 28,180 inspections were performed for pulse prices, leading to 1,403 cases of overcharging and fines exceeding Rs327,000. Price control magistrates continued to seal 30 business premises during inspections across various markets in Punjab. They emphasized ongoing market inspections to ensure essential commodities' availability to consumers at notified rates.