KARACHI, Oct 19: A total of 72 shopkeepers and vendors were booked on Tuesday for overcharging in various parts of the city while two vegetable dealers and five fruit vendors were sent behind the bars for two to three days in the Saddar Town.

The price regulators recovered a sum of Rs 100,700 in their drive against profiteers during the last three days, and action has been taken against 226 shopkeepers and vendors.

A town-wise break down shows that nine sellers were challaned in Saddar, six in Shah Faisal, 20 in Liaquatabad, 18 in Malir, six in Gulshan-i-Iqbal and 13 in Keamari.

A city government official said that a leading superstore had been imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 in Bahadurabad for overcharging.

Top officials of the City government, DDOs, inspectors of weight and measures, agriculture department and officials of city government quality control department met on Monday to review the price control mechanism with reference to quality of goods and their proper weights and measures practices.

Consumers, specially searching for fruits are still hard pressed. They believe that 18 DDOs in which only eight are on the duty, are still insufficient to curb the menace of profiteering.

Although fines are being imposed on-the-spot, the vendors and shopkeepers still continue to fleece people.

The meat merchants on Tuesday planned to meet the chief minister, but they returned disappointed as the chief minister was not available.

Meat merchants are not happy over the rates fixed by the government.

The city government has to gear up its efforts to thwart the plans of meat merchants.

The DDO Revenue recovered Rs 39,150 from traders fleecing consumers on Tuesday.

In Saddar town, 48 fruit merchants were fined, followed by 10 vegetable dealers, five milk-sellers and nine kiryana items.

In Shah Faisal town, a sum of Rs 5,700 was recovered from a vegetable dealer, two fruit vendors and three milk retailers

In Liaquatabad, 23 shopkeepers, including 13 fruit sellers, two milk-sellers and five persons dealing in other items, were imposed a fine of Rs 11,500.

A sum of Rs 1,500 was recovered from 18 shopkeepers and traders in Malir, including four vegetable dealers and 14 fruit vendors.

In Gulshan-i-Iqbal, a fine of Rs 17,000 imposed on six shopkeepers.

In Keamari town, 13 shopkeepers, including three vegetable dealers, seven fruit merchants and three kiryana traders were imposed a fine of Rs 3,400.

According to officials, the shopkeepers against whom action has been taken were indulging in overcharging and despite the fact that price lists had been issued, they were not selling items fixed by the government.