KARACHI, Sept 29: The officials of the city government with magisterial powers on Friday imposed fines of over Rs0.5 million on 516 shopkeepers for overcharging while one of them was sent to jail.

A total fine of Rs0.1 million was imposed on 34 shopkeepers in Saddar Town, including Clifton in Zone-I. Fines of Rs1,880 and Rs23,700 were imposed on profiteers in Lyari and Jamshed towns respectively. During these raids, 12 profiteers in Korangi Town were fined Rs7,300; in Gulshan Town Rs18,100 fines were imposed on 18 shopkeepers; Rs28,000 was imposed on 19 profiteers in Keamari Town and 19 shopkeepers were fined Rs37,700 for overcharging in Baldia Town.

Separately, the magistrates imposed fines of Rs16,000 on eight profiteers in Orangi Town and Rs4,600 on over 10 shopkeepers in SITE Town. In Gulberg Town, fines of Rs43,700 was imposed on 34 profiteers . In North Nazimabad, fines of Rs71,100 was imposed on 18 shop keepers.

In New Karachi Town, 19 profiteers were fined Rs35,400 for overcharging and fines of Rs51,300 were imposed on 216 shopkeepers in Liaquatabad town.

In Bin Qasim Town, fines of Rs15,600 was imposed on 17 persons; in Gadap Town 13 were fined Rs11,900; in Malir Town 12 profiteers were fined Rs13,200 and fines of Rs12,000 were imposed on 10 shopkeepers in Shah Faisal Town.

In Landhi town, fines of Rs15,500 was imposed on 20 profiteers and a shopkeepers was sent to jail for seven-days.

Meanwhile, the Karachi Milk Retailers Welfare Association (KMRWA) announced shutter-down strike on Sept 30 in Karachi against raids on milk shops for selling the commodity other than prices notified by the city government.

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, KMRWA president Hafiz Nisar Gaddi told newsmen that milk was being sold to retailers at Rs28 per litre by the wholesalers since March this year but the city government notified retail prices of milk as R28 per litre.

“Retail milk-sellers refused the notified prices as they were getting milk at Rs28 per litre from wholesalers. Even dairy farmers during meetings with the city government refused to sell milk to the retailers at less than Rs28 per litre” he informed adding that the situation was brought to the notice of the city nazim but the matter remained unresolved.

Mr Gaddi said that milk was being sold in the city at Rs30 per litre since March 2006 but with the advent of Ramazan, the city administration started raiding milk shops, imposing fines and sending them to jail for not selling milk on the notified rates.

He said that the city government’s demand was unacceptable to the milk-sellers, as they could not provide milk to citizens on subsidised rates. The city government argues that milk-sellers should purchase milk from the wholesalers on its prescribed rates and provide them to the masses at its notified rates, which is not possible for them, he added.—PPI