KARACHI, Sept 16: Consumers will not only be paying high prices for pulses and rice in Ramazan but also for tetra milk from next week as the government seems incapable of giving any relief to the hard-pressed in the upcoming holy month.

Karachi Retail Grocers Group General Secretary Farid Qureshi told Dawn on Saturday that the makers of Milkpak had increased their rates effective from September 18.

Now the 1.5-litre, one-litre, half litre and quarter packs of Milkpak would be retailed at Rs53, Rs37, Rs21 and Rs12 per pack as against the current rates of Rs50, Rs35, Rs20 and Rs11 respectively.

He said other tetra milk packers had not increased their prices yet but they were expected to follow the suit as one of the main players had taken lead in hitting the consumers ahead of Ramazan.

There has been no check by the government on the rising rates in tetra milk in the current year. Besides, there has been a marked disparity in the prices of fresh loose milk and tetra milk.

The Dairy Farmers Association of Karachi (DFAK), which has suspended the increase in milk rates for Ramazan, pointed out towards the increase in price of flavoured milk also.

The association said that the price of Pakola, Nestle and Candi Up flavoured milk pack had increased to Rs15, Rs44 and Rs30 from Rs12, Rs42 and Rs25.

It said that the government was only checking price movement in fresh milk and had completely been failed in monitoring the hike in the rates of packed milk.

In January 2006, the rate of Nido 1-kg, 400-gram and 62-gram packs was Rs240, Rs108 and Rs15 which are now priced at Rs250, Rs112 and Rs16 respectively.

Similarly, Millac tin of 2,500-gram, 1,800-gram and 1,000-gram are now retailed at Rs650, Rs500 and Rs240 as compared to Rs600, Rs400 and Rs225 in January 2006.

Coming to other items, the Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA) and the Meat Merchants Welfare Association (MMWA) were still firm on their stand to sell their items on the prevailing market rates in Ramazan, which is just one week away.

While the City Government looks determined not to change the official price list for the holy month and will take legal action against the violators.

“We have talked to Chief Minister Ghulam Arbab Rahim on Friday and sought time for a meeting so that the lingering issue over the price fixation of pulses and rice could be resolved amicably,” KWGA president Malik Zulfiqar Ali told Dawn.

However, the association has not decided their future course of action in case the City Government does not change the rates, he added.

The office-bearers of the MMWA in a press conference held at press club on Saturday had said that they were ready to sell the meat at the officially fixed rates if the city government ensures supply of meat at reduced rates.

MMWA General Secretary Iqbal Qureishi said that there was no fixed price of animals in the market and no wholesale price of meat had been fixed yet.

He, however, said that meat merchants found overcharging from the official price would be punished with six months jail and Rs15,000 fine.