KARACHI: Milk-sellers continue to fleece consumers
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, March 22: With a final decision on any raise in milk prices yet to be taken, many retailers continue to fleece consumers by charging Rs2 per litre extra on milk and Rs4 per kg on curd. Talks between officials of the city government and milk traders have been under way for 20 days on whether to increase the prises or not, but no consensus has evolved so far.
No action is being taken against the profiteers who have raised the prices on their own while the officials are waiting for the final outcome of the negotiations.
City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal and milk traders were to meet on Wednesday (March 22) but the meeting had to be postponed due to the nazim’s pressing engagements.
A city government official said that it had been decided that at the retail level, the rate of Rs28 per litre be retained while at wholesale level, the price be fixed at Rs26 per litre. But the decision is yet to be implemented.
When asked why the city government had not taken action against profiteers so far, the official said that the city government had prepared an action plan and the same was to be discussed at the Wednesday meeting which could not be held due to the nazim’s preoccupations.
He said that the city nazim had taken notice of increase in milk prices by retailers despite pledging at the March 14 meeting that no raise in prices would be effected until the issue of milk prices was resolved amicably.
The official said that the city government was still firm in its resolve not to succumb to any pressure in this regard and persuade the milk traders to keep the prices unchanged.
He said that the city government was actively chalking out a comprehensive plan on how to control the prices at source, the dairy farmers.
“This time the action against profiteers will be tougher as per the ordinance-2005 and would be initiated as soon as the notification arrives after the final meeting with the stakeholders,” the official said, adding: “the meeting is now expected to be held on Friday.”
It may be recalled that about one-and-a-half year back, the milk price at retail level was fixed at Rs25 per litre but the decision could not be implemented effectively and retailers continued to charge the rate of Rs28 per litre. The city government launched a campaign against profiteers during which fines were imposed and some retailers were sent behind the bars, but the drive lost momentum in the next few weeks.
At that moment, markets were abuzz with speculations of some secret deal between the city government and the milk traders.
In the first week of this month, dairy farmers arbitrarily raised the wholesale price of milk from Rs25.50 to Rs27.50 per litre without even intimating the city government.
As the city government has not taken any action against the dairy farmers, the retailers have taken the plea that the wholesale prices should be taken into account before forcing the retailers not to charge extra.
