KARACHI, Nov 1: After a brief spell of supplying wheat flour and other eatables to citizens at reasonable prices during the holy month of Ramazan, the utility stores have increased price of wheat flour to Rs135 per 10 kilograms from Rs110 per 10 kilograms, while most of utility stores are facing shortage of wheat flour, sugar, pluses and other kitchen commodities.

Long queues can be seen outside almost all the utility stores of the city to buy wheat flour, but only a few lucky persons could succeed in buying wheat flour, while others had to return home empty handed due to shortage of the commodity.

In Ramazan, some relief to consumers was offered by the utility stores owing to strict check on them by the government but now consumers had to bear the brunt due to lack of check and balance over the operators of these stores. People have to wait in long queues in scorching heat for hours outside these stores to buy wheat flour, sugar and other commodities.

Many consumers complain that operators of these stores treated them if they were beggars. Resultantly, exchange of hot words between them is a routine matter.

The insufficient supply of edibles especially wheat flour, sugar and pulses at utility stores in city is the main cause of rise in prices. It is agonizing for a consumer to wait in long queue just to know that sugar, pulses and other kitchen items are not available in the store.

Racks of some utility stores could be seen empty despite the fact that goods trucks often offload commodities at these stores. Consumers allege that operators of these stores used to hoodwink buyers by saying ‘come tomorrow morning and you will get the required item’.

A lady said that one could never get Channa at the utility stores while Moong could be bought in some rare cases. Since the last days of Ramazan, I could not get even a single bag of wheat flour and now I am told that price of 10kg flour has been raised by Rs25. They (operators) deal us in a mean way as if we are begging not buying, she added.

Another buyer urged administration of Utility Stores Corporation to ensure sufficient supply of wheat flour, sugar and pulses and direct managers and operators to behave with consumers.—PPI