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HYDERABAD, Nov 8: Customers in the fruit market complained of exorbitant prices charged by fruit sellers on Thursday.
They said that the traders were averse to displaying the price list issued by the local administration.
The local government had earlier specifically asked them to prominently display the price lists in their shops.
People thronged the local fruit market on the first day of Ramazan.
The price of melons has shot up to Rs20 per kg. It was being sold at around Rs12 to Rs15 per kg only 15 days ago.
Three different qualities of apples are being sold in the market with prices of Rs40, Rs20 and Rs 12 per kg. The same is the case with the price of banana, which is being sold at Rs16 and Rs20 per dozen.
Guava is being sold at Rs32 per kg.
No official of the administration was seen in the main fruit market of Market Tower to check the prices or the quality of the fruits being sold there.
The traders, however, refuted the charges of the buyers saying that the price lists issued by the administration quoted prices higher than what they were charging from the customers.
A seller argued that for instance he was selling pomegranate at Rs35 per kg while according to the price list it was to be sold at Rs40 per kg.
The fruit sellers refused to cut the prices, saying they would not reduce the prices as they were getting fruits at the higher rates from the wholesalers in the market, adding that they could not afford to bear losses.
The consumers have urged the authorities to depute officials to check the fruit prices.
HOTELS: The Hyderabad district police are exercising magisterial-cum-judicial powers in connection with the enforcement of Ehteram-e-Ramazan Ordinance 1981 notwithstanding the fact that the same have been delegated to the judicial magistrates throughout the province by the Sindh High Court.
This in spite of the fact that the district and sessions judge, Hyderabad, Prakash Lal M. Ambwani, had informed the DPO office that the DPO was not competent to grant or refuse permission to hotels during the month of Ramazan.
The office of the district police officer (DPO), Hyderabad, has granted permissions to two hotels, exempting them from the ban under clause (b) section 5 of the Ehteram-e-Ramazan Ordinance 1981.
The two hotels are Shakir Hotel at the General Bus Stand and the Al-Madina Hotel at the railway station.
The DPO, Hyderabad, had chaired a meeting of all the TPOs and SHOs on Nov 6, directing them to strictly implement Ehteram-e-Ramazan Ordinance.
Following the meeting, the DPO had sent a copy of the minutes of the meeting, requesting the district and sessions judge that “in the previous system the deputy commissioner/district magistrate was a competent authority to issue permission for opening of hotels during Ramazan but in the present regime, the above system had been abolished and in that place powers had been bifurcated between various authorities of the local government but in view of the law and order/sectarian point of view all kinds of permission are being issued by this (DPO) office so that subordinate police staff may implement proper rules/provisions on ground”.
The DPO further directed the SHOs/TPOs that they would not submit any report without obtaining approval from this (DPO) office and all kind of correspondence relating to Ramazan regarding permission etc., will be routed through his office.
While granting permission to two hotel owners on Nov 6, the office of the DPO said, “In view of the exemption contained in clause (b) section 5 of the Ehteram-e-Ramazan Ordinance 1981, permission is granted to the Shakir Hotel for serving food item to patients, passengers, and the non-Muslim community during fasting hours of Ramazan provided they will provide pardah in the hotel in such a way so that the feelings of fasting Muslims are not hurt.”
The copy of the letter of permission was communicated to the district and sessions judge, Hyderabad, on Nov 7.
Responding to this letter, the district and sessions judge wrote to the DPO informing him that the judicial magistrates had been directed by the Sindh High Court to exercise judicial/magisterial powers during Ramazan.
