Vendors asked to register stocks before Ramazan

The Rawalpindi divisional administration has sought comprehensive data on food items from wholesale dealers of food items used in Iftar and Sehri.

The details have been sought from both small and large vendors, as well as all vegetable and fruit market dealers across the six districts of the Rawalpindi division.

Open notices have been issued instructing wholesale dealers, suppliers, and small shopkeepers to submit data on groceries, Iftar items, vegetables, fruits, rice, gram, and pulses to the deputy commissioner’s office by Saturday.

Sources said beginning Sunday, a rigorous crackdown will ensue. Any stock items found more than the data provided by suppliers will be confiscated, followed by an auction in the open market. Additionally, dealers engaging in hoarding will face legal consequences, as an FIR will be registered under Section 11 of the Anti-Hoarding Act, 2020.

Offenders may be subject to imprisonment for three years and a fine of Rs0.5 million. The administration emphasises zero tolerance for profiteering and hoarding during Ramazan.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2024.