Price control magistrates stay off field

LAHORE
Overcharging on daily use items continues as majority of 104 price control magistrates don’t go to field and leave the citizens at the mercy of mafia creating price hike through artificial shortages.
Continuous hike in the prices of daily use commodities, especially fruit and vegetables in open market in the presence of 104 price control magistrates clearly suggest that the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has failed to check overcharging in an effective manner.
Citizens are facing high price of daily use items and many have complained to CDGL helpline and its senior officers but all in vain as vendors are charging very high rates for fruit and vegetables, especially those selling these commodities at roadsides. News items about high prices of edibles have been published, but the district administration could not control the prices.
However, one thing which the district administration does religiously is issuing of press releases claiming holding major crackdowns on shopkeepers to control overcharging whereas in practical one can’t find fruit and vegetables on the rate issued daily by the CDGL.
Sources in CDGL confirmed that though the magistrates were given strict orders to visit the markets in their respective jurisdiction, but majority of them preferred to stay home or in the office and send their subordinates to carry out raids.
The price control magistrates were given special powers to bring down escalating prices of fruits and vegetables in the provincial capital and they were also assigned to monitor the auction process of vegetables and fruits but they ignored the job. The purpose of special magistrates at all vegetable and fruit markets is to monitor the process of auction and lessen the involvement of middle men in auction process to reduce the prices. But the prices of fruit and vegetables are going out of the reach of the common man.
The fruit and vegetable sellers were charging about Rs 10 to Rs 20 extra from the prices mentioned in the price list issued by the market committee on daily basis. For example, the price of good quality Mango is Rs 80/kg but in open market it is being sold at Rs 120/kg. The same is the case with other fruit and vegetables.
CDGL sources said the officers given magisterial powers were already over burdened as they also had to do the work of their own departments due to which price control had become their second priority. Sources said 104 magistrates are enough to control prices but the real problem is lack of will to take action against those involved in overcharging.
Sources said among the 104 price control magistrates, there are many who have not done this job earlier and none of them has been given any necessary training to handle the job’s requirement. Sources added majority of said officers did not know the law, the methodology of work of a special magistrate, holding a summary trial and awarding punishment to the culprits on the spot.
DCO Muhammad Usman on Thursday morning reviewed the performance of 104 Price Control Magistrates working on the implementation of officially notified rates of essential commodities and tracing out violations in regard with overcharging on essential commodities in open markets of the provincial capital.
After having profound review, DCO also showed his displeasure on the performance of many Price Control Magistrates and issued show cause notices to them, asking them to explain their position within three days.
The price Control Magistrates who were issued show cause notices included DO Agriculture Waris Thakar, DDO (OFWM) Muhammad Hussain, DDO Labour Shahzad Tahir, DDO (SW) Nisar Ahmed Bhatti, DDO (SW) Arif Mehmood, DDO (SW) Shahid Soroya, DDO (SW) Ashraf Janjuha, Naib Tehsildars Rana Shahid and Zulfiqar Ali Hanjara, DDO (OFWM) Faiz Ahmed Khichi, TO (I&S) Gulberg Pervaiz Haidri and Naib Tehsildar Azam Shahjan.
The DCO directed all Price Control Magistrates to visit their areas concerned by themselves instead of sending their subordinates to markets for price control. Moreover, the DCO visited Model Town and Township Ramzan Bazaars to check quality and rate of essential commodities. He went on different stalls and talked to customers about quality and rates of items which they termed satisfactory. He also visited to Badamibagh Fruit and Vegetable Market where he monitored auction process of fruit and vegetables under his supervision.
It is also worth mentioning here that CDGL sold 106920 kg sugar, 17186 ten kg bags, 24939 kg chicken in all Ramzan Bazaars of the city while as many as 28199 citizens had Iftar on 311 Madni dastarkhawans of CDGL.