KARACHI, Aug 25: Despite the government’s claim that the Utility Stores Corporation would sell 100,000 tonnes of sugar in Ramazan at its countrywide outlets against the 40,000 tonnes it normally sells, consumers continue to suffer as sugar is sold once a day, compelling people to make repeated inquiries throughout the day.

A senior USC official told Dawn that the daily supply of 120 tonnes of sugar for 195 regular and franchise stores of Karachi had been the same these days, as was before Ramazan.

This means that sugar supply to stores by the USC has not improved during the holy month.

USC officials create confusion among customers, as some store officials demand computerised national identity cards (CNICs) for a sugar purchase while other stores make no such demand.

However, all stores have displayed notices asking customers to show their CNICs before buying sugar besides limiting them to only two kilograms a purchase.

A store official in Liaquatabad said the CNIC condition had been in force for the past one week to curb multiple purchases and black-marketing, while a Saddar store official said there was no such condition.

In the absence of any specific time of arrival of trucks loaded with sugar, consumers has been making persistent inquiries at the stores.

In the mornings, in case the store’s official informs consumers about the arrival time of a truck, people make a queue there a little before that time.

In case they hear that the vehicle has not arrived in the morning or afternoon, they try their luck in the evening. With only limited quantities supplied to the stores, many people return empty-handed.

During visits to different stores in Federal B Area, North Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Saddar and other localities, store officials were found to be unanimously of the view that sugar had been the most sought-after item during and before Ramazan owing to the big price gap of Rs12 per kg.

The USC sells sugar at Rs38 a kilogram while retailers on the open market demand Rs50 for a kilo.

A store official in Federal B Area said he was getting 180 bags of sugar daily of two kilograms each, which was not enough to satisfy the thousands of customers milling around at the store.

He said that 200 bags of five kilos each daily were being provided to his store before Ramazan.

An official in the Liaquatabad store said his store was getting 200 bags daily, while an official at the Saddar store said the USC supplied him 300 to 400 bags daily. These officials said no improvement in supply had been witnessed during Ramazan.

Many stores located in less populated areas pull down their shutters 30 to 45 minutes ahead of the official time of closure, i.e. 6pm.

The Saddar store official said the government had not provided any private or government security to the stores, though the stores collected large amounts of money daily. He said many stores had been closed for fear of being looted.

In case of a robbery during working or closing hours of stores, all store officials would have to pay the money lost to robbers from their salaries.

About wheat flour, store officials said that despite the sale of 10kg flour bags at Rs100 per bag at certain points, the stores had not witnessed any decline in their usual sales. The government had reduced the 10kg flour bag price to Rs275 from Rs295 for Ramazan.

Besides, the USC was also offering five to 10 per cent discount on various items.

Meanwhile, Zonal Manager of the USC Habib Ullah Khan claimed that there was no scarcity of sugar at the stores. “Small stores are getting 300 bags a day while big stores are being supplied 500 bags a day,” he said, adding that as soon as sugar arrived at a store, it took four to five hours for it to sell out.

He said the availability of sugar at the stores was much better in Ramazan than it was two to three weeks back, when there was no sugar at the stores. “We have a stock of one week while more supplies are in the pipeline,” said Mr Khan, adding that supply to the stores would improve in the future.