HYDERABAD: Plan finalised for price control during Ramazan
By M. H. Khan
HYDERABAD, Sept 24: Revenue officials with magisterial powers will visit markets to check whether price lists issued by the district administration for Ramazan are being displayed by shopkeepers.
During the last Ramazan officials had failed to control prices of fruits, vegetables, mutton and other edibles.
EDO (revenue) Sattar Jatoo told Dawn on Sunday evening that those found guilty of overcharging would be fined and prosecuted.
The district government has been holding meetings with traders to persuade them to agree to a price regime for Ramazan.
Reports indicated that retailers dealing in pulses, rice and wheat did not agree with prices being fixed by the administration.
Until a few days back, lists were not seen in the market despite repeated directives by the EDO revenue.
No case has so far been registered.
The district government has set up complaint centres in four talukas where staff are said to have been deputed to note down complaints about commodities, following meetings with trade representatives dealing with kiryana merchants.
“The administration is fixing prices as per its wishes while our viewpoint is not being given proper hearing”, said a retailer.
Revenue officers will record complaints of consumers at their complaint centres that will be checked by official having powers of the first class magistrate and then he would visit concerned shop to verify the complaint.
“If the complaint is found to be correct the shopkeepers would be fined or even challaned”, said EDO revenue.
Complaint centres are being set up in fire brigade station, tower market, fire brigade station Faqir jo Pir, poultry dealers shops Lajpat road, main markets unit-7, 11, Phulelli, Naseem Nagar and main bazar Tandojam.
The retailers argue that administration always failed to enforce its writ over wholesalers who are actual market players because they are the ones who charged exorbitantly and then retailers had to sell goods accordingly while charging their own margin of profit.
It is always contended that they fixed prices of fruits for consumers in the light of rates offered by commission agents in the fruit market.
Chicken sellers have raised their prices from Sunday.
Until few days back 1kg chicken was being sold at Rs130 to Rs140 per kg and today it was sold at Rs150 per kg.
The chicken dealers gave no plausible reason for the immediate rise in prices.
Hyderabad DCO, EDO, DO and DDOs revenue, Mukhtiarkar and assistant Mukhtiarkar have been delegated with powers of first class magistrate under the Sindh Essential Commodities Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering Ordinance 2005 by the Hyderabad sessions judge on Aug 25.
Their jurisdictions have been defined as well.
According to the general secretary of the Wholesale Fruit, Vegetable Merchant and Commission Agent Group, Najmuddin Qureshi, revenue officials obtained rates of fruits on Sunday and the list was to be issued on Monday that would be circulated to complaints centres also.
