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Milk-sellers refuse to reduce prices
KARACHI, April 8: The city government's efforts to
check milk prices have virtually failed and
consumers are still paying Rs 25 a litre instead
of Rs 22 in almost all parts of the metropolis.
A meeting between dairy farmers, retailers,
wholesalers, the City Nazim and other senior city
government officials on Tuesday which discussed
the price-hike at length, remained inconclusive
and it could not fix prices. Farmers and retailers
continued to urge the Nazim to stop the arrest of
retailers for overcharging.
Sources said the City Nazim remained firm on his
stand that the rates, being charged by retailers,
are unjustified. He said he would not allow
anybody to usurp the rights of the common man.
Naimatullah Khan dispelled the contention of dairy
farmers that the city government is victimising
farmers and wholesalers on price issue.
In reply, the Nazim said the dairy farmers,
wholesalers and retailers, both were unjustified
in selling the most essential item at a higher
rate. In view of the failure of talks, the
District Coordination Officer will hold a meeting
with DDOs in the next two days to chalk out a
future strategy to contain the prices.
Sources said that non-cooperation of police with
the district revenue officers in the price
checking exercise can be blamed as the main reason
behind failure to bring down prices. Besides, DDOs
also appear half-hearted in checking profiteering
with a dedication as they lack magisterial powers.
According to the city government official, at
least 10 persons namely - Taj Mohammad, M. Shahid,
M. Yaqub, M. Asif, M. Mehmood, M. Afzal, M. Sadiq,
Nadeem, M.Sajid and Khalid Javed were arrested in
Orangi Town area on Wednesday for selling milk at
Rs 26 per litre.
The official said as many as 200 persons
(including retailers of atta) had been arrested in
the last one month for selling atta and milk at
higher rates. Sources said that milksellers feel
harassed in case of their arrest by the police as
they have to stay for at least one day in jail.
However, they are not bothered about imposition of
fines on the spot as they know how to recover from
consumers.
"A 10 kg ice bar, which is placed in the middle by
the milk seller in a milk utensil at a huge milk
tub, generates around one kg of water," sources
said. Dairy farmers had been arguing with the
government over the rates by saying that prices of
each and every commodity have increased in the
last four years except milk. They said that
buffalo prices had gone up to Rs 30,000-40,000 per
animal from Rs 15,000-18,000.
A dairy farmer, on condition of anonymity, said
that a large number of buffaloes had been smuggled
into Afghanistan, causing animal shortage. The
city government official said no smuggling of
livestock had taken place.
Milk retailers in different areas said they are
bound to sell milk at Rs 25 a litre since they are
procuring it at Rs 23 from distributors and dairy
farmers. The government officials said that the
government is ready to resolve the problems of
dairy farmers but it cannot compromise on the high
milk price of Rs 25 per litre.
This is third consecutive failure of the city
government in containing the prices. Earlier, it
could not achieve any major success in containing
atta prices despite frequent arrest of retailers.
Consumers still recall that in Ramazan owing to
laggard performance of price regulators, they paid
too high.
Sources said the city government always victimises
shopkeepers and gives a cover to its inefficiency
instead of taking stock of the situation at the
wholesale and dairy farming levels.
The DAWN
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Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
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