THE price of broiler chicken has started shooting up. According to the Sindh Essential Commodities Price Control and Prevention and Profiteering and Hording Act 2005, which chicken is at serial number 5, which clearly indicates it as an essential commodity.

The price control is not being checked regularly by Karachi’s Assistant Commissioners, as well as by the Controller-General of Prices, who is commissioner of Karachi. Previously, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui was the commissioner for consumers.

On Feb 23 the price of chicken was Rs156 per kg and its meat was Rs242 a kg. Today chicken is sold at Rs 210 a kg and meat is Rs346 a kg. The vast difference is due to leakages in the departments and unavailibity of consumer courts.

The Consumer Rights Council, based in Sindh Governor House, had been working efficiently since 2005 for the redressal of consumers’ grievances at large.

Muhammad Junaid Khan

Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2017