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KARACHI, Nov 8: Retailers in the city on Friday continued to sell fruits on exorbitant rates and the government machinery virtually failed to control profiteering by the vendors.
No downward trend was seen in prices of fruits on the second day of the holy month, and retailers were bent on charging over 100 per cent rates from consumers as against the actual prices.
“There is no one to check profiteering by the vendors. We are compelled to purchase a small quantity of fruits as we cannot afford to buy the commodity in a bulk due to the sky-rocketing rates,” a number of consumers told Dawn in various areas.
“It is better to skip fruits instead of buying it in a small quantity to cater to a few family members,” some angry fruit- buyers maintained.
Buyers said the city government had set up complaint centres but nobody was present there to record public complaints. Instead, they added, some other people were sitting in the centres and saying that the official had gone somewhere. “I think the city administration, like in the previous year, has not done its homework on time. That’s why they are watching the situation as a silent spectator,” a number of consumers looking for fruits and other items said.
Fruit-sellers are violating the government’s order to display price lists. They have kept the lists on the sidelines and are demanding prices on their own.
“We cannot sell fruits at cheaper prices as we have bought it at higher wholesale rates,” some of the fruits vendors stated, trying to justify the high charges.
But a wholesale dealer in Sabzi Mandi maintained that fruit rates had been much cheaper ahead of Ramazan. He blamed the retailers for deliberately demanding higher prices as a result of the rising demands.
The efforts of the city government could be gauged from the fact that it has not yet informed the press as to how many profiteers were booked for overcharging and not displaying the price lists in the first two days of Ramazan.
MONITORING TEAMS: The city government has finally come out with some measures to check profiteering. The District Coordination Officer, Shafiqur Rahman Paracha, on the instruction of City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, has formed one monitoring team for each Town.
These teams, comprising town municipal officer of the area and a representative of the city government’s enterprise and investment promotion department, would work under the Town Nazimeen.
According to a statement issued by the DCO office, the monitoring teams have been invested with powers to book the vendors and retailers for violating the set rules.
Mr Paracha directed the monitoring teams to regularly visit the market places in their areas, check prices of essential items and ensure that shopkeepers are charging fixed prices and have prominently displayed the price lists.
All those found overcharging or not observing the measures and standards set by the government would be booked by the representatives of the city government and for judicial procedures the violators would have to appear before the concerned judicial magistrates.
Meanwhile, DCO Shafiqur Rehman Paracha has directed the department of enterprises and investment promotion to ensure supply of edible and other essential items at the official rates and contain profiteering, adds APP.
He issued these directions during a visit to various markets in various parts of the city on Friday. The DCO checked the prices of essential commodities and asked the shopkeepers and vendors to display the price lists.
He warned that those shopkeepers who did not prominently display the price lists would be booked.
The DCO said judicial magistrates would raid and impose fine on the spot through summary trials. He advised the vendors to display the price lists issued by the government to avoid heavy penalties.
Mr Paracha also talked to shoppers on the occasion and advised them to demand price lists from the shopkeepers before buying any thing and make payments according to the price lists.
Any complaint can be filed with the concerned officials, he added.
During a price-checking on Burns Road, the DCO ordered suspension of two inspectors - Mohammad Arshad and Amir Bukhsh - for negligence of duties and ordered an inquiry against them.
The concerned officials issued challans to the shopkeepers, who were either overcharging or did not put the price lists on display. The shopkeepers were asked to produce those challans before the concerned judicial magistrates for further action.
The people complained about various shopkeepers and the DCO ordered action against those responsible.
