RAWALPINDI, Feb 14: Customers have complained that the management of a utility store in the city is meting out discriminatory treatment by allowing those making big purchases at the store to buy more sugar than other buyers solely seeking the commodity.

A large number of consumers standing in long queues outside the Chandni Chowk utility store complained that the staff was giving 10kg sugar to those who purchased items worth Rs2,000 from the store while those who just wanted the commodity were given 2kg.

“We have been waiting for sugar for two hours with no results mainly because we are not able to purchase items worth Rs2,000, while those who can afford it neither wait nor face any difficulty,” remarked Mohammad Kamran.

About 26 utility store outlets in the city are witnessing no letup in the number of customers who are desperately searching for the commodity.

The managers of the stores are of the view that regular customers have the right to receive sugar on a priority basis while the casual visitors must wait for their turns. Most of the people have been seen exchanging hot words with the utility staff for facilitating some and ignoring others.

When contacted, Regional Manager Utility Stores Corporation, Rawalpindi, Munir Ahmad said utility outlets were like other businesses and regular customers could not be ignored.

He said majority of those standing in long queues were profiteers who took the commodity on subsidised rates and sold it on double the price.