UPPER DIR: Local people complain shopkeepers are selling goods in the district at the prices higher that those fixed by the administration without let or hindrance.

The complaint belies the administration’s claim that its teams regularly visit local bazaars and markets to ensure enforcement of its pricelist and fine profiteers.

Visitors said imposing fine on profiteers didn’t work as after being fined, shopkeepers resumed making excessive profit.

“The administration fines a profiteer from Rs3,000 to Rs4,000 and leave him. He recovers the amount within an hour afterwards,” said customer Raziq.

Another customer said he failed to understand why profiteers were not jailed.

He said heated exchanges among buyers and shopkeepers over prices had become a routine and sometimes, they turned into brawls.

Another local resident complained shopkeepers sold goods at the price of their choice to the common man’s misery.

He said most vendors didn’t recognise official pricelist saying following that pricelist meant losses.

He said the official rate of mango was Rs80-Rs120 per kg but the fruit sold at around Rs150 kg.

Customers said greengrocers not only charged prices at will but also sold substandard goods.

They said normally, three varieties of a vegetable or fruit were sold on local market at different prices but the official pricelist mentioned only two types of rates.

Some people alleged that shopkeepers profiteered with the connivance of food controller.

A greengrocer said the administration could only impose fine on profiteers and that too of few thousand rupees. He said it was a very easy for greengrocers to recover the amount of fine from customers.

The people said they didn’t benefit from the official pricelist due to its blatant violation by shopkeepers.

They said if the administration fined vendors millions of rupees or sent them behind bars for profiteering, only then they and others would follow official pricelist.

The people demanded strict action by the administration against profiteers.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2015

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