Enforcement of official food prices remains ineffective in Karachi

Despite the Karachi commissioner’s orders for effective enforcement of food prices fixed by the city administration and the government, fruits and vegetables are being sold at exorbitant rates.

Commissioner Sohail Rajput had directed all the deputy commissioners of the city to clamp down on profiteers and hoarders that have been causing price hike of food items.

Last week sweet lime was being sold at Rs150 a dozen, but on Tuesday it wasn’t available for less than Rs250 a dozen. According to the latest official rates, first-grade sweet lime is supposed to be sold at Rs123 a dozen and second-grade sweet lime at Rs83 a dozen.

Pomegranate’s official retail rate is Rs150 a kilogramme, but it’s being sold at Rs220 a kilogramme. Similarly, tomato’s official rates are Rs143 and Rs102 a kilogramme for first-grade and second-grade respectively, but they’re being sold at Rs180 a kilogramme.

All vendors are supposed to display the price list issued by the commissioner’s office at their respective shops, but one can’t find the official price list at most of the city’s shops, while fruits are being sold at two to three times higher rates than their official prices.

One of the fruit sellers in Gulistan-e-Jauhar lamented that they get fruits at higher rates from the wholesale market at Super Highway, so when they sell them in the city to make a profit, they’re fined or jailed. “What’s the point of selling them cheaper than we bought them for?”

Crackdown

The deputy commissioners of the East and Central districts had taken action against profiteers and hoarders in their respective jurisdictions on Monday. As a result, over Rs250,000 was collected in fines, 10 FIRs were registered and nine people were locked up for a day.

Many milk, meat and vegetable shops that were found to be selling essential commodities at prices higher than the government’s prescribed rates were inspected and fined. According to the details shared by the office of District East Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Shah, eight milk sellers were fined Rs10,000 each in different parts of the district.

One vegetable seller in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and two in Ferozabad were fined Rs2,000 each, while another two in the Jamshed Quarters neighbourhood were fined Rs4,000 each. As for grocers, one was fined Rs5,000 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, one was fined Rs3,000 in Ferozabad, another was fined Rs3,000 in Gulzar-e-Hijri and two more were fined Rs6,000 each in Jamshed Quarters.

During a crackdown in District Central, nine FIRs were registered against wheat hoarders and one against a sugar hoarder. Three chicken meat shops were fined Rs7,000 each in North Nazimabad and two flour shop owners were sent to jail for a day.

Two chicken meat shop owners were fined Rs4,000 each in Liaquatabad, while two flour shop owners and as many vegetable sellers were sent to jail for a day. In New Karachi, two grocers were fined Rs10,000 each and as many vegetable sellers Rs20,000 each. Three milk sellers were fined Rs15,000 each in Nazimabad and three flour shop owners in Gulberg were sent to jail for a day.

According to the details shared by the office of the District Central deputy commissioner, union council-wise oversight committees have been notified with 10 community members for each UC in connection with hoarding and price hike.

The details of action taken against hoarders and profiteers in the South, Korangi, Malir and West districts couldn’t be obtained from their respective offices or from the commissioner’s office.