KARACHI, Sept 26: A tussle between the city government and the Karachi Wholesaler Groceries Association (KWCA) on the rates of pulses, channa and basin has created a shortage of these commodities in the market.
Rejecting the rates fixed by the city government, wholesalers had stopped selling pulses, channa and basin, said market sources, adding that the market might experience a crisis-like situation.
KWGA Chairman Malik Zulfiqar told Online that the city government fixed the rates for Ramazan without taking the wholesalers into confidence.
He said the wholesale rate of channa was fixed at Rs38 per kg while the same was fixed at Rs46 per kg in Sukkur. Similarly, the rate of Daal Masoor was fixed by the city government at Rs32 while the same was Rs40 in Sukkur, he added.
He said that the local administration of Sukkur fixed the rates keeping in view the price hike, while the city district government of Karachi did it without considering the prices prevailing in the market before Ramazan.
“It is difficult for wholesalers to sell the commodities on the CDGK-fixed rates as they are lower than those prevailing in the market before Ramazan,” said Mr Zulfiqar.
The wholesalers, therefore, preferred not to sell channa, basin and pulses so as not to trouble retailers and consumers.
He said that the most the wholesalers could do was to sell the Daal Moog for Rs50 per kg, and that too without earning any profits. The city government had fixed the rate at Rs56 per kg.
Same would be the case with other commodities, he added.
That the retailers are selling commodities on rates 15 to 30 per cent higher than those fixed for Ramazan shows that the city government has failed to ensure implementation on the rates fixed by it.
Raids: As city government officials with magisterial powers continued their campaign against overpricing on the second day of Ramazan, 25 shopkeepers were sent to jail while another 313 were slapped with fines worth Rs0.557400 million. In Sadar Town, the officials imposed fines worth Rs137,000 on shopkeepers and vendors. In Lyari Town, Rs19,400 worth of fines were imposed on milk-sellers, meat merchants and grocery owners while in Jamshaid Town, vegetable-fruit merchants, milk-sellers and grocery owners were slapped with fines worth Rs35,700 while seven persons were sent to jail for two days.
Fines worth Rs9200 were imposed for overpricing in Korangi Town, Rs15,700 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town, Rs33,700 in Kemari Town, Rs13,500 in Baldia Town, Rs41,500 in Orangi Town, Rs4,000 in SITE Town, Rs16,600 in Gulberg Town, Rs50,200 in North Nazimabad Town, Rs48,300 in New Karachi Town, Rs35,900 in Liaquatabad Town, Rs35,700 in Bin Qasim Town, Rs22,350 in Malir Town, Rs13,400 in Shah Faisal Town and Rs10,450 in Landhi Town.
Vegetables: The Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market has announced to sell vegetables on wholesale rates at five different locations in the city during Ramazan, said Anjuman president Haji Shah Jehan here on Tuesday.
He said that in collaboration with the city government, vegetables would be made available at wholesale rates in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Landhi, Orangi Town, Nazimabad’s Anu Bhai Park and Baloch Park in Lyari Town.—Agencies