RAWALPINDI: Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha on Monday took notice of the price difference of chicken between Rawalpindi and other divisions and directed the deputy commissioners to launch immediate crackdown on wholesalers who were charging extra money.

He expressed these views during a meeting with a delegation of Poultry Association.

Deputy director livestock, market committee members, Poultry Association president and other relevant officials participated in the meeting.

Chicken is available at a price of Rs367 per kg in Rawalpindi – Rs40 higher than Sargodha.

The official price in Lahore is Rs341 per kg, Rs310 in Gujrat and between

Rs310 and Rs320 per kg in some areas of Punjab.

“Special measures should be taken to control the prices. The rate in the

wholesale market should be controlled because the main problem starts from there. When they sell chicken meat at high prices to shopkeepers, how would they sell meat at a low rate to people,“ Mr Chattha said.

The commissioner said although our chicken was mostly procured from Sargodha or other remote areas due to which transportation cost were also added to the price, a reasonable rate should be determined altogether.

He said our aim was to provide relief to people by moderating the prices, which was not possible without the support of the Poultry Association.

He directed the price magistrates to pay more attention to wholesalers as they were the real cause of artificial inflation.

“Deputy commissioners in consultation with the Poultry Association should fix a reasonable rate keeping in view all their expenses; the price magistrates should then ensure implementation of this rate across the division,” Mr Chattha added.

Meanwhile, the Poultry Retailers Association and Poultry Association Rawalpindi have rejected the administrative policy of enforcing uniform prices of poultry at the inter-district level.

They termed it unworkable and against merit and warned that if the government and the administration did not withdraw its policy, a protest plan would then be issued.

Addressing a protest demonstration of retailers on Hamilton Road near Dingi Khoi, Raja Bazaar, Poultry Retailers Association President Malik Ghazanfar said the government and administration wanted to fix a rate of chicken in all districts, including Lahore, which was not feasible and acceptable to retailers of Rawalpindi.

He said all poultry products arrived in Rawalpindi from other districts as there was no farming chain here, and due to this reason, chicken price remained high.

“Additional expenses including transport charges have increased but the administrative officials are constantly putting pressure on the traders to reduce prices,” he said, adding that the wholesalers and retailers of Rawalpindi will not be able to meet their expenses.

He said even after this symbolic protest, if our problems are not addressed, the high court will be approached.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2023