KARACHI, May 5: While failing to control the increase in prices of fresh milk despite issuance of notification of retail price at Rs28 per litre last month, the city government has started holding negotiations with the meat merchants when meat sellers have already raised the prices.

The city government has issued the price notification of fresh milk in the third week of April but the stakeholders had already increased the price of milk to Rs30 from Rs28 per litre. Yogurt price had been increased to Rs44 from Rs40 per kg. At present, retailers enjoy free hand in fleecing the consumers in absence of any price checking campaign.

So far no action has been taken by the city government against retailers, wholesalers and dairy farmers.

Executive District Officer (Enterprise and Investment Promotion) Syed Abid Ali Shah reckoned that so far no action had been taken against the stakeholders despite the issuance of notification.

“We are actually planning to introduce a ticketing system and profiteers and retailers will be challaned on the spot for over-charging,” he told Dawn on Friday. He said that this was the same method being used by the traffic police against motorists for violating traffic rules.

He said that banks were being coordinated in this regard so that profiteers could deposit the ticket (amount of fine) in the bank branches.

He said that the ticket system would comprise of a fine ranging from Rs50 to Rs500.

The profiteers and retailers would have to pay double fine in case they were found making windfalls from the customers in the next visit of city government officials, he said adding that these measures are being taken under the Price Control Ordinance 2006.

Deputy District Officers (Revenue) of all the 18 towns would be assigned the task to issue ticket to the profiteers, he said, and added that tickets were in the printing stages.

“We have been asking the government to give magisterial powers to the city government officials so that price control campaign could be launched in an effective way,” the EDO said adding that some 60 to 70 officials, including Town Municipal Officers, could make a difference in stabilising prices in case they are invested with powers.

He said though one DDO for each town would be insufficient to handle the price control campaign efforts would be made under the government limitations.

EDO (E&IP) Abid Ali did not give any clear date for the launch of price control campaign against milk sellers but he said that hopefully the campaign would be launched next week.

He said it was noticed that action had never been taken against dairy farmers from where the actual price increase had triggered off.

“We will take all the stakeholders to the task for violating the official price,” he said.

Besides, plans are under way to broaden the issuance of ticket for 35-40 essential items which fall in the purview of the city government under new Price Control Ordinance 2006.

Market sources said that like the previous year, there had been some deal struck between the stake holders and some city government officials this year too thus giving free hand to the stakeholders in milk business to make windfalls. This has been a main reason in restricting the price regulators to adopt a dilly dallying attitude in taking any stern action against the milk sellers and dairy farmers.

Meanwhile, a group of Meat Merchant Welfare Association met the higher ups of the city government on Friday.

EDO (E&IP) Abid Ali said that meat merchants attributed the increase in meat prices to three lingering issues: increase in demand of red meat due to bird flu scare; rising export of meat; smuggling of live animals to Afghanistan and the Middle East.

At present, consumers are paying more to buy mutton at Rs260 as compared to Rs240 per kg followed by increase in beef (with bones) prices to Rs140 from Rs130 per kg. Minced meat price of beef (Qeema) is tagged at Rs170 as compared to Rs160 per kg.

Iqbal Qureishi of the meat merchant association said that daily slaughtering of animals in Karachi had increased by 20 per cent but the demand was still high owing to switchover of consumers towards red meat after bird flu scare.

At the meeting, he said, a sub-committee had been formed including the members of meat sellers and town nazim, who would furnish details on rising prices, problems of meat sellers and unauthorised slaughter houses.