KARACHI, Dec 14: The city administration has failed to monitor and implement the reduced prices of mutton as prices have gone up to Rs160-170 a kg in some main city markets.
While meat sellers in areas such as Burnes Road, Frere Market, Clifton, Gizri, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Hyderi, Defence and Delhi Colony are charging Rs160-170 a kg for mutton, the price regulators are watching the situation as helpless spectators.
On Dec 5 (on the eve of Eid) meat sellers discussed meat prices at a meeting with city government officials. At the meeting representatives of meat sellers had agreed to sell mutton at Rs140 a kg instead of Rs150 a kg. It was also agreed that the price of beef (non-calf) would be reduced by Rs5 a kg, ie, the price would be brought down to Rs85 a kg from Rs90 a kg. But in the past one week meat sellers have not reduced the price of either mutton or beef.
Furthermore, there is no possibility of a price reduction in coming days as meat merchants at a meeting with city government officials one day ago had expressed their inability to reduce prices.
City government officials and the meat merchants are unable to explain why consumers are being compelled to pay higher prices.
Market sources said city government officials, at the last meeting, had given a go-ahead signal to meat merchants to sell meat at pre-Ramazan prices, instead of asking them why meat could not be sold at cheaper prices.
When contacted, the secretary-general of the Meat Merchants Welfare Association Karachi, (MMWAK), Iqbal Qureishi, skipped the issue of price cut from Dec 5-12, saying no change had been made in prices and meat sellers would continue to sell mutton and beef at pre-Ramazan prices. Another office-bearer of the MMWAK also had no clear-cut reply on the price issue.
However, vice president of the MMWAK, Haji Mohammed Salim, said the city government should now adopt stern measures and announce a controlled price of Rs120 a kg for mutton. Strict action should be taken against shopkeepers violating the controlled price. Punishments for overcharging should include 15-20 days’ imprisonment, he added.
“There is no uniformity in meat prices in the city,” he said.
He said a goat weighing 12-13kg now sold for Rs2,100-2,200 as compared with Rs1,700-1,800 earlier. He said cows, bulls, goats and sheep were being sent to Quetta for their export to Iran and Afghanistan, which was causing a shortage of animals in the local markets.
“If the city government does not take steps to check this export of animals, prices of animals would go beyond the reach of people by Eid-ul-Azha,” he added.
Market sources said few consumers lodged complaints at phone number 135 or with the price regulators. This attitude on the part of consumers was further encouraging meat sellers to fleece them.
The city government has been trying to control meat prices since Ramazan, but so far all its efforts have failed to bear fruit.
