19 March 2004	Friday	27 Muharram 1425

KARACHI, March 18: Feeling the heat of city government's efforts to control flour price, wholesalers and retailers have urged the food department to also taken action against millers who, they said , were providing the commodity at exorbitant rates.

Acting on the governor's instructions, the city government arrested ten more shopkeepers on Thursday for selling atta number 2.5 at Rs16-19 as against the official price of Rs12 per kg. In the last two days, 19 shopkeepers have been arrested for not selling atta at the official rate.

However, wholesalers and retailers' bodies are not happy with the government's price checking move in which they say only shopkeepers are being targeted while the flour millers have not been touched.

"I have taken up the issue of continuous harassment of shopkeepers and their arrests with the food department," General Secretary of the Karachi Wholesalers' Grocers Group, Mohammad Shakeel, said on Thursday.

He urged the food department officials to first check the flour millers' who were selling atta number 2.5 at Rs1,060 per 80 kg bag or Rs13.25 per kg. "How can retailers and wholesaler sell atta at Rs12 per kg when they procure the commodity at Rs13.25 per kg from millers," he said.

He called upon the provincial government and the city government to stop raiding shops and arresting shopkeepers, otherwise the market situations would go out of control.

General Secretary of the Karachi Retailers Grocers Association, Farid Qureshi, while lamenting the price checking move, said the government had acted late when the flour crisis was almost over.

According to him, the rate of atta number 2.5 has fallen to Rs980 per 80 kg or Rs12.50, which is in contrast to the rate of Rs1,060 as claimed by the KWGG General Secretary Mohammad Shakeel.

He said he had also discussed the arrests and price monitoring move with the city government officials who said they were bound to act as orders in this regard had been given by the higher authorities. He said the price checking move and arrests had created an unrest among retailers.

Another shopkeeper also asked why the government was reluctant to check the prices being quoted by the millers. He said since millers enjoyed strong political clout with the Sindh government action against them was unlikely.

According to a report of the deputy district officer (revenue), the Saddar Town DDO visited Empress Market where atta was being sold at Rs15 per kg. However, shopkeepers were only warned on this occasion.

The North Nazimabad DDO reported that the Town Police Officer had not responded despite several messages. Three persons, Sabir of Rafiq atta chakki, Farooq, owner of Bismillah chakki, and Ali Gauhar of Pano atta chakki were arrested for selling atta at Rs17 and Rs19 per kg.

In Orangi Town, police had not cooperated with the city government officials, while no response was received from the Gulshan and Baldia towns, the DDO report said. No violation was reported from Shah Faisal Town.

In Liaquatabad, four persons, namely Wasim of Mashkoor Store, Ziauddin of Madina Store, Rajab Ali of Rajab Store and Akhlaq Ahmed of Akhlaq Store in the Super Market area were arrested for selling atta at Rs16 and Rs17 per kg. No report was received from Landhi and Site, while in Malir sufficient atta was available at Bachat bazaars at Rs11 per kg.

Executive District Officer, Enterprise and Investment Promotion, Raeesuddin Paracha, meanwhile, has claimed that the atta price has declined by Rs2 per kg and the situation would stabilize soon due to the ongoing price control efforts.

He told Dawn that Director Food Tanvir Qureshi had informed him that the record of three flour mills had been seized due to discrepancies in receipt and issue of official wheat issued by the food department.

Besides, he said the food secretary had cancelled the wheat quota of six flour mills after receiving complaints that these flour mills were not complying with the government orders to set up stalls in Bachat Bazaars.