KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed the city administration to continue taking action against those retailers found flouting fresh milk’s officially fixed per litre price of Rs94 in the metropolis.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar passed this order while hearing an application of one Imran Shahzad.

The applicant sought contempt proceedings against authorities on the grounds that the court had in March 2018 disposed of petitions with regard to milk prices following a settlement between stakeholders that milk would be sold at Rs94 per litre in the city.

On Nov 12, the court had directed the local authorities to take action against the retailers found violating the officially fixed price and selling the commodity at an exorbitant rate.

At the outset, Assistant Commissioner (headquarters) Kanwal Nizam appeared and filed a report in court regarding compliance of the court’s previous directives. She stated that they imposed fines on 453 retailers for violating the official price and collected over Rs2.7 million.

She explained that the maximum amount of fine was about Rs30,000.

She further informed the court that they had kept a vigilant eye on milk retailers to control the milk price at the rate officially notified by the Karachi commissioner.

Ms Nizam held out an assurance that the commissioner’s office would continue its surveillance for imposing fines on violators.

The official also supplied a copy of the compliance report to the petitioner, who wanted to go through the same.

The matter was adjourned for a date to be later notified by the office.

136 gynaecologists’ posts filled, court told

A health department official, Dr Sikandar Ali Memon, informed the same bench that out of 169 posts of gynaecologists, 136 had already been filled and 20 more had been issued offer letters and their joining was still awaited.

Filing a report regarding compliance of the court’s Nov 14 directives, the officer said that remaining posts would be sorted out and a requisition would be sent to the Sindh Public Service Commission for further recruitment/recommendations.

Dr Memon further stated that after recruitment of the gynaecologists proper training would be given to them so that they may perform their duties effectively and smoothly.

The bench adjourned the matter to a date to be later announced by the office.

The bench was hearing a petition seeking utilisation of funds for a national programme to control maternal deaths.

Noted gynaecologist Dr Shershah Syed along with others had filed the petition in 2015, submitting that around 5,000 women died during pregnancy every year in Sindh due to lack of healthcare facilities in rural areas.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2019