KARACHI, Oct 7: The City Government has sought magisterial powers for deputy district officers (DDO Revenue), district officers and town municipal officers (TMOs) to combat the practice of over-charging by retailers and shopkeepers during Ramazan.

The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has sent a letter to the home department, seeking magisterial powers for the CDGK officers.

“The home department has forwarded a request in this regard to the Sindh High Court (SHC), and we are hopeful that the court would consider the request of the city government,” EDO Enterprise and Investment Promotion, M. Raeesuddin Paracha, told Dawn on Tuesday.

Last year, the Sindh government had delegated the magisterial powers to the city government’s officials.

“The government had earned Rs 3.5-4.0 on account of fines and challans on shopkeepers and retailers for overcharging in the last Ramazan, he said.

In case the Sindh government approves the proposal, the DDOs will inspect markets along with TMOs and town nazims and impose fines on profiteers.

Mr Paracha said that there was still a shortage of staff and infrastructure to control prices in the mega-city. He said the records, assets and staff (over 200) of the Bureau of Supply and Prices (BSP) had not been transferred to the City Government last year.

The Sindh government had abolished the BSP and its functions had been deleted from the Sindh government’s Rules of Business 1986 vide notification No.SROI(S&GAD), dated September 17, 2002.

However, the staff of the BSP had been declared surplus by Service and General Administration Department, Sindh in the light of a decision of the Provincial Cabinet Sindh on Oct 2, 2001, and officials were transferred to other Sindh government departments instead of handing them over to the city government.

“We have prepared our own strategy by requesting the city government to provide 50-60 more people who could work as inspectors and help DDOs and TMOs in the price control operation during the holy month as 20-25 officials are insufficient to handle the situation,” Mr Paracha said.

The city government plans to set up 15 to 20 Bachat Bazaars in different towns in the month of Ramazan, he said.

Plans are being chalked out to set up stalls (specially of fruits and vegetables) in the jurisdiction of union councils, and this would somewhat help check hike in prices.

Complaint centres would also be set up in major markets.

He said the government was also trying to collect data on the actual stock position of various essential commodities so that stockpiling could be checked.