By Khalid Iqbal
Shopkeepers are selling sugar for Rs60 per kilogram without any fear, belying the claims of city administration to maintain controlled rate of Rs40 of the commodity in open market.
The customers in state of helplessness think it better to be quiet as any hue and cry against it may deprive them of even a chunk of sugar. Secondly many having no ability to stand in queues for hours to get subsidised sugar think that it is better to buy it at the rate of Rs60 per kilogram.
The areas where shopkeepers are selling sugar at Rs60 per kilogram include Al-Mumtaz Colony, Adiala Road, Kamalabad, Morgah, Scheme No-III, Lalkurti, Mukha Singh Estate, Tench Bhatta, Dhoke Syedan, Aria Mohallah, Raheemabad, Gulzar-e-Quaid, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Pirwadhai, Allahabad, Chur and Qasim Market near Dhoke Chaudirian.
Residents of the area alleged that the price magistrates are not visiting their areas. They claimed that shopkeepers taking advantage of the situation are selling the commodity on higher rates.
All city district government management tried to provide the commodity on shops on controlled rate of Rs40 but they failed to do so. Time and again the concerned bosses took actions against hoarders and profiteers and they also sent some shopkeepers to Adiala Jail but sale of sugar on higher rate could not be halted.
The reliable sources from the city district government Rawalpindi informed ‘The News’ that city administration is not pressurising the shopkeepers to sell the commodity at Rs40 fearing that they would hide sugar creating problem for the public.
Many residents of Rawalpindi while talking to ‘The News’ said that they could bear high prices but could not bear humiliation by standing in getting the commodity.
Razaaq Ahmed, a government servant, said that he was buying one kilogram sugar at Rs60 from the very first day of crisis. He avoids using harsh words with shopkeeper on sugar rate issue due to it he is getting the commodity even during worst crisis days, he said.
Rehana Kausar, a resident of Tench Bhatta, said that it was not difficult to make a rule but it was difficult to implement it. The Supreme Court has ordered for provision of sugar at the rate of Rs40 per kilogram but now it is the duty of the city administration to implement the orders.
When contacted Executive District Officer Revenue (EDOR) Muhammad Zubair Khan said that time and again we are taking actions against hoarders and profiteers and have sent many of them to jail. He said our price magistrates are visiting daily all the market and bazaars. However, he assured further vigilance on shopkeepers.