LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to launch a crackdown on fertilizers' hoarders and profiteers and issued instructions to all divisional commissioners in this regard. Special raiding teams comprising officials from special branch, police and agriculture department have been constituted to check the upsurge in fertilizer prices against the government notified prices and artificial shortage being created by some hoarders.

Chief Secretary Punjab Kamran Ali Afzal issued these instructions while presiding over a meeting held at Civil Secretariat on Friday. He said no one can be allowed to exploit the farmers. Those who are minting money by creating an artificial shortage of fertilizers would be dealt with an iron hand.

He mentioned that persons involved in the hoarding of fertilizers do not deserve any leniency as they are 'culprits of the whole nation'. He said the government would protect the interest of farmers in any case.

He maintained that at present urea fertilizer is in abundance but dealers are creating artificial shortage by storing it in warehouses against which stern action would be taken. The Chief Secretary asked the officers to start a crackdown on the pattern of administrative measures taken to check sugar hoarding.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021