KARACHI, June 10: The Governor, Ishratul Ibad, on Saturday promulgated the Sindh Essential Commodities Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Ordinance, 2006. The ordinance shall come into force with immediate effect.

The ordinance envisages that the district controller may, by notification in the official gazette, fix specific maximum price of essential commodities, different prices for different localities or for different classes, or categories of any essential commodities.

No person shall sell or re-sell any essential commodity at a price higher than the maximum price fixed, it says.Every dealer or producer shall supply to the district controller such information regarding the production, purchase stock, sale or distribution of any essential commodities as the district controller may by an order in writing or by a notified order require.

Any person who contravenes any order, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three months or fine, which may extend to Rs10,000, or with both.

If a person convicted for such offences, punishable under this ordinance, is again convicted for the same, the term of imprisonment awarded to him shall not be less than three days.

Any person who attempts to contravene or abet a contravention of any order shall be deemed to have contravened the order.

If the person contravening an order is a company or body corporate, or a partnership, or other body of individuals, every director, manager, secretary, member or other office or agent thereof shall be deemed to be guilty of such contravention, unless proved that the contravention took place without his knowledge or he exercised all due diligence to prevent such contravention.

The list of essential commodities include fresh milk, powdered milk, beef, mutton, chicken meat, milk for infants, white sugar, tea, edible oils including ghee, aerated water, fruit juices and squashes, vegetables, fruits, eggs, pulses of all sorts, wheat flour, rice, red chillies, spices of all sorts – packed and unpacked – bakery items including nimco.

Tickets can be issued for failure to display price list of essential commodities, worth Rs500 for wholesalers, Rs200 for retailers, and Rs100 for pushcart vendors; Rs500 for failure to declare stock of essential commodities; and Rs500 for sale of essential commodities including fresh milk, beef and mutton, chicken, fish and eggs at a higher than notified price.

Tickets can also be issued for selling kiryana items such as pulses, rice, wheat flour sugar, powdered milk, tea, spices, edible oils including ghee at higher prices, worth Rs500 for wholesalers and Rs200 for retailers; for bakery items including nimco, worth Rs500 for wholesalers and Rs200 for retailer; and for vegetables and fruits, worth Rs200 for shopkeepers and Rs100 for pushcart vendors.

SHOPS CLOSURE: The governor clarified that the decision of the closure of shops by 8pm was not a permanent order, and said that the normal timings would be restored as soon as the power supply situation got normal.