May 12, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 6, 1429

MIRPURKHAS, May 11. Hundreds of people, including women and children, held a demonstration outside a branch of the Utility Stores Corporation in Satellite Town on Sunday in protest against the store staff who, they alleged, were overcharging them for heavily subsidised ghee, oil, flour and other essential items.

The protesters who had been waiting in a long queue outside the store for their turn to buy essential commodities were particularly irked by the arrogant attitude of the staff.

Raising slogans against the store management, they demanded that the government should take notice of the staff’s misbehaviour and overcharging.

When they complained to him about overcharging he refused to sell them anything, they said and lamented that the store had very short supply of ghee, oil and flour. Only 25 per cent of items were sold to people and 75 per cent were sold out to shopkeepers on higher rate, they alleged.

They complained that there was no fixed opening time and they were made to wait for two to three hours daily for the store to open. It was same at all the stores in the city, they added.

They said that they just wanted the government to ensure provision of general commodities on subsidised rates and demanded that the prime minister and chief minister should take notice of their problem.