HYDERABAD, Sept 4: MNAs Salahuddin and Tayyab Hussain along with DCO Ali Ahmed and other members of the district price control committee paid visits to different parts of the city on Thursday to monitor prices to ensure enforcement of government-fixed rates of essential commodities during Ramazan.

An official handout claimed that the MNAs and the DCO along with other members of the committee took round of the city where they observed that flour was available at the rate of Rs15 per kg and other essential commodities at government-fixed rates.

According to the handout, price lists were affixed in front of shops and people were buying edible items at controlled prices.

However, overcharging was also found at some places, where fine of Rs20,000 was recovered from 12 shopkeepers and many others were warned.

It said that commission agents/middlemen were mainly responsible for enhancement in prices of essential commodities and added that after couple of days, the members of the committee would again pay visits to wholesale markets to check illegal practices of middlemen and to take action against them.

It said that a balanced system for market mechanism was needed for which departments concerned, experts and administrators of various fields were being consulted.

The handout further said that though supply and distribution of fertiliser was not the job of revenue officers but keeping in view the interests of growers, they (the revenue officers) had accepted this challenge and the revenue magistrates had been directed to maintain vigilance in the markets and take action against the profiteers.