November 4, 2003	Tuesday	Ramazan 8, 1424

KARACHI, Nov 3: The Monday session of City Council witnessed an uproar by many members over some CDGK officials’ attitude towards the Acting City Nazim Tariq Hasan with regard to his handling of meat merchants’ strike against fixation of prices for the month of Ramazan.

Serious differences between the elected representatives and CDGK officials came to light when some of the members strongly criticized DCO Mir Hussain Ali and some other officials for expressing their reservations over the deal between the Meat Merchants Welfare Association MMWA and the Acting Nazim on Friday night on revised prices of meat.

The Council members rallied behind the Acting Nazim’s handling of the situation and his decision to get the meat sellers’ strike called off. The condemned the DCO and the concerned officials for their refusal to comply with his orders in this regard.

The Council session was presided by the Acting City Nazim in the absence of City Nazim Naimatullah Khan who has proceeded to China on an official visit.

While criticizing bureaucracy for interfering in the city government’s affairs, the elected representatives deplored the DCO and other officers for refusing to issue a notification pertaining to the revised meat prices as agreed upon between the CDGK and MMWA.

They demanded that all these officers must be present in the session whenever the House asked them to do so.

Though the agenda of the session was a discussion on a new commercialization policy for the city, much of the time was contributed to discuss people’s grievances related to price-hike during the holy month and the uncontrolled traffic jams.

The chair put off the debate on commercialization policy to another date following contention by some members that they were not given sufficient time to go through the draft of the policy.

Members affiliated to various groups expressed their concerns over the increase in the prices of edibles and underscored the need for practical measures in this regard. They called for the fixation of a uniform rate of flour throughout the country indicating that wheat flour was being sold at a lesser price in Punjab and the NWFP than in Sindh.

Regarding revised meat prices, Tariq Hasan defended his decision to approve new rates saying that it was taken in the greater interest of people who were made to suffer due to the strike by meat sellers.

Admitting that his decision had drawn mixed response, he maintained that the step had been taken after a thorough discussion on all the related aspects and keeping in view the interest of general public.

One of the members, Riaz Tabassum, criticizing the DCO for refusing to comply with the Acting City Nazim’s order, stressed: “the House supports the Acting City Nazim’s decision no matter right or wrong.”

Another member, Sajjad Haider Dara, described price-hike and traffic jams as ‘a conspiracy against the city government’ and criticized the DIG Traffic for his remarks that the CDGK was responsible for the traffic jams in the city.

He advised the DIG to concentrate on his job of managing the traffic system and refrain from issuing political statements.

Members also demanded magisterial powers for UC Nazims in order to ensure their handling of the ongoing price-control campaign in an efficient manner.

Siddique Rathore, Abdul Razzaq Siddique, Mahfooz-un-Nabi, Abdur Rashid Baig, Yasin Nagori also spoke during the session.

NOTIFICATION: Owing to serious differences between the Acting City Nazim and DCO over the Friday deal on meat prices, a fresh notification could not be issued till Monday evening. As such, the notification issued ahead of Ramazan remains effective.

The Acting City Nazim has reportedly delayed issuance of the fresh notification till the return of City Nazim Naimatullah Khan from China.

Meat merchants, however, have started following the revised price list as agreed upon between their association and the Acting City Nazim late Friday though its application is subject to the issuance of a notification.

It may be mentioned here that the meat sellers had unilaterally increased meat prices up to Rs40 per kg before Ramazan and resorted to an indefinite strike when the city government issued a price list showing a reduction of Rs10 per kg in the normal prices of different categories of meat. However, at an emergency meeting on Friday night, the city government agreed to revise its prescribed prices by allowing up to Rs20 increase in normal meat prices.

The city government’s decision, taken by the Acting City Nazim, Tariq Hasan, was opposed by DCO Mir Hussain Ali who later refused to accept the deal. There had been reports of an exchange of hot words on the issue between the two. The DCO contended that the Acting City Nazim did not possess powers to revise the prices of edibles and other essential items unilaterally. “Being the General Controller of Prices in Ramazan, I, the DCO, have the powers to take such action as far as prices are concerned,” sources quoted the DCO as telling the Acting City Nazim.

On his part, Tariq Hasan argued that being Acting City Nazim and an elected representative, he had the authority to take prompt action in the interest of general public.

COUNCIL MEETING: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan will preside over a meeting of the City Council on Wednesday to review the issue of meat prices during the holy month of Ramazan, according to a statement issued here on Monday by the Acting City Nazim, Tariq Hasan.

He said that he had issued no notification about meat prices in the local market and that any decision to this effect would be taken in the next Council meeting.

Mr Hasan said that he wanted to take all the elected Nazims into confidence before taking any decision and that due to this very reason, he had referred the issue to the City Council.

APPEAL: The Acting City Nazim has appealed to mill-owners to reduce flour, ghee and sugar prices voluntarily for the month of Ramazan.

Mr Tariq Hasan was talking to the representatives of the associations who called on him separately here on Monday.

The Nazim told them that during his visits to bachat bazaars and markets, he received complaints from customers about the quality of atta. He urged those representing flour mills’ association to pay attention to the atta quality and also reduce its price.

Mr Hassan also appealed to the association of ghee mills to announce a cut in prices. He was assured that a decision to this effect would be made in the next few days and that he would be informed accordingly.

Those representing sugar mills’ association at a meeting with the Naib Nazim held out the assurance that there would be no shortage of sugar in the city markets during Ramazan.

The Nazim expressed the desire on behalf of the city government that people be provided good quality items of daily use especially during the holy month at reasonable rates.—PPI