Punjab government implements new flour packaging and price enforcement measures

The Punjab provincial government has introduced new regulations to control the movement and pricing of essential food commodities. In an effort to curb wheat and flour smuggling, the government has banned the sale of 20kg flour bags, mandating that only 10kg packs be available in the market. Officials indicated that smaller packaging is intended to make bulk diversion to other provinces more difficult to hide and easier to track.

Simultaneously, authorities have intensified enforcement against overpricing. In a single week, food safety and consumer protection teams recorded nearly 20,000 violations, collecting over Rs10.6 million in fines. The crackdown included tens of thousands of inspections focused on chicken and sugar prices. The enforcement actions resulted in 56 arrests and the sealing of 19 locations for violating government-notified rates or failing to display price lists.