KARACHI, Jan 7: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal said on Sunday that although the retailers had reduced the milk price to Rs30 per litre from Rs36, the city government’s action would continue against all those selling milk at higher than the government fixed rate of Rs28 per litre.
“Milk was selling in the city at Rs36 per litre, and due to our prompt intervention now they are selling it at Rs30 per litre. However, this is not acceptable and we will continue taking action against those selling milk at more than Rs28 per litre,” he told Dawn.
He agreed that in some areas milk was still selling at an exorbitant price, but maintained that due to stern action the price of milk woul come down to Rs28 per litre in a day or two.
Mr Kamal appealed to the citizens to lodge their complaints, regarding the sale of milk at higher rates, at helpline 134 and toll-free number 0800-12012 so that the city government could take action against profiteers more effectively.
He said that at the meeting with representatives of dairy farmers, wholesalers and retailers it was decided that milk would be available in the city at Rs28 per litre for the next 10 days and now there was no justification for selling milk above the government fixed rate.
“The writ of the government will be maintained and my officers with magisterial power will take action to curb profiteering,” he added.
Meanwhile, the city government on Sunday sent to jail 22 wholesalers and seven retailers for overcharging.
Additional EDO (Revenue) Matanat Ali Khan told Dawn that some 97 retailers were booked for selling milk at exorbitant prices and a total fine of Rs262,000 was imposed on them.
He said that officials of the city government having magisterial powers conducted raids on different wholesale and retail outlets in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gadap, Keamari, Shah Faisal, North Nazimabad, Bin Qasim and Landhi towns and arrested the profiteers.During the last four days some 102 profiteers have been sent to prison while 331 retailers were fined for selling milk at higher rates, he added.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Transparency International-Pakistan, Syed Adil Gilani, during a meeting with City Nazim Mustafa Kamal at his office on Sunday, observed that there had been a decline in corruption and mismanagement in the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) during the last one year.
Mr Gilani shed light on new rules for procurement, tendering process, uplift projects, day-to-day affairs, which were notified by the federal government and appreciated the city government for controlling mismanagement and corruption.
The nazim observed that the purpose of introduction of new rules and regulations in any department was for brining improvement in the overall performance.
On the occasion, the nazim asked all officials concerned that all uplift projects should be fully insured.
He stressed the need for conducting a survey of companies before the prequalification process and register only qualified and reputed companies having previous experience, the capacity of workforce, machinery and other required skills.
The meeting was attended by DCO Karachi Fazlur Rehman, MD Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) Brigadier Iftikhar Haider and other senior officials.
