17 October 2004	Sunday	02 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Oct 16: Prices of essential commodities appeared out of all proportions on the first day of Ramazan and consumers felt the trend a real burden on their hard-earned money.

Traders, mainly shopkeepers and vendors, had a field day as they charged prices of their own choice taking advantage of lapses in the activation of city government's price control mechanism.

Even the DDOs, assigned the task of ensuring compliance of the notified prices, seemed helpless in taking any action due to the absence of magisterial powers that had to be vested with them.

A city government official said on Saturday that 80 per cent of the 18 DDOs had been mobilized and they discharged their duties. However, he pointed out, they had to restrict action against the defiant to warning only because they were yet to be vested with magisterial powers.

Fruits, vegetables, meat, milk and almost all other items of daily use were selling at the rates much higher than those prevailed before Ramazan in the local markets.

Shopkeepers and vendors in the markets located in North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, F B Area, Tariq Road, etc., enjoyed a field day as the official price list could not be circulated either by their organizations or the city government. People at many places were seen indulged in heated arguments with the sellers over unexpectedly high prices.

Fruit seller were charging Rs50-60 per kg for apple of no.1 quality as against the official rate of Rs40 per kg whereas melon was selling at Rs20-30 per kg instead of the official rate of Rs14 per kg. Good quality banana was being sold at Rs20-25 per dozen as against the pre-Ramazan price of Rs18. Taking advantage of general public's lack of knowledge about the quality of fruits, many sellers were found charging the rates of high quality for the low-quality merchandise.

Vegetables were also not available at controlled rate and the consumers were made to pay Re1 or more extra for each kilogram of various verities amid increasing demand. The commodities included onion, potato, green chilly, etc.

Although the city government has allowed 10 to 20 per cent margin for sellers on fruits, vegetables and other items, the vendors appeared not content with the profit. In some cases they were seen adding 100 per cent margin.

Magisterial powers to the DDOs of the city government's revenue department had been delegated last year, but only after passage of the first week of Ramazan, indicated a CDGK official.

He apprehended that all efforts made so far to make the price control strategy a success was going to fizzle out only owing to the delay in the authorization.

Comparing the prices in this season with the previous one, it has been observed that the market players have virtually succeeded in dictating their terms and the ultimate sufferers are consumers. The market players have again come out with lame excuses of high imported cost, local crop having been finished, and low production.

The pledge by wholesalers that the rates of pulses would remain at lower side proved an eyewash as the prices of most pulses went up by two to four rupees per kg as compared to those in the last year.

Surprisingly, the Karachi Wholesaler Grocers Association (KWGA) has resented the city government's move of arbitrarily fixing the rates on the lower side. It has now enforced its own prices.

For instance, the rate of atta no.2.5 has been fixed at Rs13 from Rs10.50 per kg while its 10-kg bag is adjusted at Rs130 from Rs105. Irrespective of quality, atta has never been sold at controlled rate.

Some ghee and cooking oil packers have offered a cut of Rs 15-30 on different packs during Ramazan.