Attached Departments
The Punjab Food Authority (PPA) is a regulatory body established in 2012 by the Government of Punjab, Pakistan, with the mission to ensure food safety, hygiene, and quality. Following an expansion in 2016, the PPA became operational in all districts of Punjab by 2017, solidifying its presence and authority across the province. Through rigorous enforcement, inspections, and education, the PPA aims to protect public health, prevent food-borne illnesses, and promote consumer confidence in the safety and quality of the food supply within Punjab.
The Punjab Food Authority Act, 2011 entrusts the Punjab Food Authority with the following functions and responsibilities:
• Food business licensing
• Conducting routine inspections of registered businesses
• Carrying out anti-adulteration raids
• Taking actions against counterfeit products
• Sampling of food products
• Facilitating the recovery of outstanding dues, such as license fees and challans
• Enforcing compliance with labeling requirements
• Addressing complaints from consumers and stakeholders
• Organizing awareness sessions on food safety and hygiene
• Engaging in dengue prevention and control activities
• Establishing liaison and collaboration with other departments
• Regulate and monitor the food business to ensure compliance by farmers, manufacturers, distributors, importers, and other stakeholders, in order to provide safe food.
PAMRA established as autonomous body under 2019 under Agriculture Department.
PAMRA enhance Punjab’s agriculture through initiatives that support farmers, improve market efficiency, and promote sustainability, ensuring a robust agricultural economy for all stakeholders.
- PAMRA ensures the effective establishment, supervision, and monitoring of agricultural markets and committees, fostering transparency and efficiency in market operations across Punjab.
- PAMRA regulate market operations by prescribing registration fees and ensuring compliance, creating a fair, streamlined, and efficient agricultural marketplace for all stakeholders.
- PAMRA supports alternative marketing channels and contract farming, providing farmers with innovative ways to access better opportunities and improve profitability.
- By establishing grading standards for agricultural produce, PAMRA ensures quality consistency, helping farmers secure fair prices and boosting market credibility.
- Facilitate and regulate the systematic growth of agricultural produce marketing
- Support the development of agri. Commerce through multiple marketing channels
- Provide meaningful support and empowerment to growers
- Strengthen food security by improving market access and reducing post-harvest losses
- Enhance ease of doing business through simplified regulations and investor-friendly policies
- Promote development of agri. logistics, warehousing, and cold chain infrastructure for
efficient market linkages
- Legislation, Policy Formulation and Planning as a measure of Food Security through:
- Wheat procurement.
- Construction and maintenance of storage facilities.
- Storage of wheat.
- Financial arrangements with the banks.
- Transportation of wheat.
- Release of wheat and its overall monitoring.
- (a) Administration of food laws;
(b) Policies and measures to ensure provision of safe and quality food and hygiene;
(c) Any other matter relating to food and food business.
- Regulation of flour and sugar mills.
- (a) Registration of contractors (Transportation). (b) Tendering and award of contract.
- Inter-provincial trade matters.
- Budget, accounts, and audit matters.
- Service matters except those entrusted to the Services and General Administration Department.
Through its training and research activities, PIAM indirectly supports the department’s mandate to determine, monitor, and report wholesale and retail prices of essential commodities, document storage facilities, and manage market intelligence systems
The functions of the department are as under:
- Support for Commodity Management and Price Control:Through its training and research activities, PIAM indirectly supports the department’s mandate to determine, monitor, and report wholesale and retail prices of essential commodities, document storage facilities, and manage market intelligence systems
- Monitoring and Revenue Recovery:The institute provides training on inspection and monitoring techniques to reduce revenue leakages from Market Committees, thereby strengthening financial discipline and accountability.
- Financial and Budgetary Training:PIAM educates participants about financial powers and budgetary matters, which is crucial for the transparent and effective management of funds within the Price Control & Commodities Management Department.
- Capacity Building and Training:PIAM is mandated to enhance the skills and knowledge of officers and staff of the PC&CM Department, particularly those involved in Commodities Management. This is achieved through structured training programs on laws, regulations, and key issues in management of essential commodities, including the Punjab Agricultural Marketing Regulatory Authority (PAMRA) Act
- Improving Service Delivery:The institute works to strengthen the service delivery mechanisms of the department by providing training on effective office management, including filing, noting, and drafting systems. This ensures better administrative efficiency and compliance with departmental procedures.
- Enhance value addition by creating awareness, capacity building and transfer of technology for processing and storage.
- Market Driven Production: Training of farmers, extension staff and other stakeholders to respond to market signals for better planning, production and promotion of products according to market requirements.
Punjab Model Bazaars Management Company (PMBMC), a public sector company is incorporated under section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984. PMBMC operates under the Price Control & Commodities Management Department (PCCMD). PCCMD is the administrative department of the company.
Model Bazaars is a special initiative by the government of Punjab for the welfare of the general public to provide daily usage commodities in a respectful and pleasant environment at DC rates, where applicable. It is ensured that daily use items are provided at notified / competitive rates in a neat and clean atmosphere along with allied facilities / services i.e. prayer room / area, food court, joy land, neat and clean washrooms, etc.
Provision of daily consumer goods to the general public in a decent environment is a fundamental objective of Model Bazaars and at the same time, providing a business platform to lower and middle-class families is yet another defining trait of the Model Bazaars. These Model Bazaars welcome lower and middle-class entrepreneurs to run their businesses in a respectable manner where they are offered stall(s) against nominal monthly rent. On average around fifteen thousand (15,000) stallholders earn their livelihood from these bazaars. Customers of the bazaars and stall holders are further facilitated with free electricity, free parking, shopping trolleys, clean drinking water, sanitation, and security services. Owing to its nice environment and quality goods and services, on average 50 million visitors visit Model Bazaars annually and this number is increasing day by day.
The overwhelming success of these Model Bazaars has further strengthened and widened the vision of the management to extend its quality services to the general public. It is worth mentioning here that PMBMC has also specially focused on constructing Bazaars in the underprivileged areas of southern Punjab.
It’s the outcome of the popularity of Model Bazaars among the masses that the Government of Punjab has decided to establish model bazaars in 142 tehsils of Punjab. The government has also decided to keep all model bazaars open for seven days a week to give maximum relief to the masses.
PMBMC is self-sustained and receives a one-time grant-in-aid for the establishment / construction of Model Bazaars, allied facilities, and any other new initiative. Expenses like staff salaries, utility bills, operational expenses, and routine repair / maintenance, etc. are met from the savings of the bazaar(s) and no funds are demanded from Finance Department / Government for this purpose. These bazaars also provide recreational facilities for children at a very low cost ranging from Rs. 20-60. The profit obtained from profitable bazaars is also used to finance the bazaars which are not sustainable. It is pertinent to mention here that these Bazaars are independent of the Bazaars operated and managed by the local governments such as Sunday, Friday, and Ramzan Bazaars. In total at present 36 Bazaars are operational in different cities of Punjab such as Lahore (Township, Thokar Niaz Baig, Harbanspura, Sabzazaar, Raiwind, Mian Plaza-Johar Town, Sher Shah Colony, Chung, Wahdat Colony & China Scheme), Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Kasur, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Sahiwal, Faisalabad (Jhang Road & Millat Road), Toba Tek Singh, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jampur, Bhera, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Hafizabad, Farooqabad, Chakwal, Lodhran, Jhang, Vehari, Jauharabad, Mianwali, Pakpattan, Bhakkar and Taunsa Sharif.
To provide for protection and promotion of the rights and interests of the consumers and in order to raise the standard of goods and services in the province by removing defective products and faulty services from trade and commerce, the Government of Punjab enacted Punjab Consumer Protection Act (PCPA), in the year, 2005. Consequent upon such legislation, District Consumer Courts and District Consumer Protection Councils in seventeen districts namely Bhakkar, Bhawalnagar ,Bahawalpur, D.G.Khan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala,Gujrat, Lahore, Layyah, Mandi Bahauddin, Multan, Rawalpindi, R.Y.Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodh and Sialkot have been established,which cover throughout the province, while Directorate of Consumer Protection Council, Lahore serves as Headquarters of said institutions.
The Consumer may file a case/claim before Consumer Court which is headed by the District and Session Judge / Additional District and Session Judge. The violator may be punished by the Court, with imprisonment which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to PKR 100,000 (Rupees one lac only) or with both in addition to damages or compensation as may be determined by the Court. The Consumer may also file a complaint for violation of provision of following Sections of said Act before the Authority(DC)who,on being satisfied that such is the case, fine the violator that may extend to PKR 50,000 (Rupees fifty thousand only):
- Section – 11: Duty of disclosure regarding Products
- Section – 16: Duty of disclosure regarding Services
- Section – 18: Prices to be exhibited at the business place and
- Section – 19: Receipt to be issued to the purchaser
One important thing which separates this welfare oriented legislation from others is that justice is available free of cost and within a limited/short time period to the general masses for resolving their grievances against defective products and faulty services.
The functions of Directorate of CPC as per PCPA 2005 are as under:
- To deal with Administrative, Financial and legal matters of Directorate of Consumer Protection Council/District Consumer Protection Councils (DCPCs)/District Consumer Courts (DCCs)
- To raise awareness among the consumers through electronic and print media, etc
- To visit the Public and Private Organizations, Educational Institutions, Chambers of Commerce and Industries, NGOs etc. for awareness about the system
- To provide legal assistance/guidance to the general public for filing complaints before Authority/Consumer Court
- To prepare development schemes
- To propose amendments in PCPA, 2005 to make it more consumer’s friendly
- To develop its own website (which has been developed)
The Directorate of Agriculture (Economics and Marketing) in Punjab has played a pivotal role in shaping the agriculture marketing framework in the province. With origins tracing back to the pre-independence era, this institution has evolved with the passage of time, from its supervisory role of Market Committees, collaborative functions with the Punjab Agriculture Marketing Regulatory Authority (PAMRA) to its attachment with Price Control and Commodities Management, Government of the Punjab. The synergy between these entities aims to ensure fair returns to farmers, stabilize prices, and create a digitally driven, transparent marketing system.
The Directorate of Agriculture (E&M), Punjab, stands as a central pillar of agricultural governance—merging traditional oversight with technological modernization. Its comprehensive scope, from grassroots data gathering to multi-level institutional engagement, supports both market stabilization and strategic development goals in the agricultural sector.
- Data Management and Analysis
The Directorate emphasizes evidence-based planning and market intelligence through:
- Daily Collection and Uploading: Gathers real-time price and supply data for essential commodities, shared across official digital platform (www.amis.pk).
- Appraisal Reporting: Submits daily 6Es and 4Ps appraisal reports directly to the Secretary of PC&CMD, supporting informed decision-making.
- Stock Position Surveys: Deploys EADAs (E&M) to conduct field-level assessments of essential commodity stock levels.
- AI-Driven Integration: Shares wheat disposal trends and fruit/vegetable price data with the Commodity Price Monitoring System (CPMS) for artificial intelligence analysis and forecasting.
- Information Dissemination
Committed to transparency and market education, the Directorate publishes:
- “Food in Focus” Bulletin: A monthly analytical report covering commodity production, consumption, import/export stats, and pricing dynamics.
- Monthly Publications:
- “Agriculture Marketing Round-Up” (Urdu)
- “Supply & Price Analysis” (English)
Both are disseminated via the department’s official website and offer valuable insights to producers, traders, and policymakers alike.
- Supply Chain Management
Efficient, coordinated supply movement is maintained through:
- District-Wise Forecasting: Anticipates supply gaps and addresses emerging demand-supply mismatches.
- Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Engages with district administrations and other relevant agencies for real-time response.
- Stakeholder Engagements: Organizes strategic discussions with growers, commission agents, and market functionaries to refine district-level supply strategies.
- Institutional Strengthening
The Directorate undertakes significant governance improvements, including:
- DPCC Revamp: Reconstitution of District Price Control Committees (DPCCs) with EADAs (E&M) appointed as Member/Secretaries.
- Performance Evaluations: Compiles performance reports of Price Control Magistrates (PCMs) and EADAs (E&M), promoting accountability and service improvement.
- Coordination Meetings: Regularly convenes sessions involving EADAs (E&M) and Market Committee Secretaries under the stewardship of Secretary PC&CMD for policy alignment and operational coherence.
- Market Monitoring
Ensuring transparency and regulatory compliance involves:
- Field Visits: Routine inspections of Agricultural Produce Markets to maintain hygiene standards and monitor auction protocols.
- These on-ground Monitoring & evaluations help minimize price manipulation and reinforce fair trading environments.
- Project Implementation
Major development schemes actively managed by the Directorate include:
- Strengthening SAMIS: Advanced Data Platform “Strengthening Agricultural Marketing Information Service (SAMIS)” through Marketing Facilitation Centers (MFCs).
- Market Relocation/Shifting Initiatives: Overseeing the Shifting of Fruit & Vegetable and Grain Markets in Tehsil Mian Channu, with a focus on logistical efficiency and modern infrastructure deployment.
- Special Initiatives
The Directorate also plays a pivotal role in seasonal public relief efforts such as:
- Ramzan Plan 2025: Setup and management of Saulat Stalls for public relief.
- Maintaining supply flows and monitoring price stability during Ramzan, Eid-ul-Fitr, and Eid-ul-Azha.
- These initiatives ensure citizen access to affordable food commodities during high-demand periods.
