Jhang consumers have rejected the list of prices for food items issued on Thursday by the District Price Control Committee, saying that nothing is available at the fixed prices across the district. There is severe anger among the public because in the recent monthly meeting of the Price Control Committee, only the district administration and committee members participated, and the price list was issued without the representation of consumers.

The price of mutton is set at Rs 1700 per kilogram, but it is not available for less than Rs 2200, and beef is priced at Rs 1200. Other essential items like rice, pulses, ghee, and sugar are also not available at the fixed rates. The committee is failing to enforce its set prices. Milk and yogurt are becoming unaffordable, while poor-quality milk is being widely sold.

The Food Authority is failing to control the production of counterfeit milk, despite ongoing operations. Poor-quality meat is also being sold, while the Food Authority and Livestock Department are failing to ensure the sale of quality, clean, and halal meat. The voice of consumers is ignored in the Price Control Committee, while traders, hoarders, mill owners, and sugar and ghee dealers are heard.

Consumers have appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, DG Para Force, DG Food Authority, and other senior officials to take notice of the administration’s failure to enforce its own prices. The price of flour and bread is increasing day by day, while there is no oversight on flour mill owners setting their own prices, and hotels have different bread prices. Government prices are nowhere to be seen, and the condition of the vegetable market is even worse.