The inflation-hit masses would find no sugar at the utility stores from next week, as the stocks in the godowns of Utility Stores Corporation (USC) across the province have been completely exhausted, and the TCP has failed to supply 50,000 MT of locally produced sugar to USC, sources said.
Zonal corporations of Sindh have requested TCP for ensuring provision of 50,000 MT locally produced white refined sugar in order to provide the essential commodity at Rs 38/kg to the poverty-stricken masses, but they pay no heed to it causing shortage of sugar at USC, the sources added.
The USC-Karachi Zone, which covers Hyderabad, Nawabshah, District Badin and Mirpurkhas, had requested TCP to provide 25,000 MT of sugar to overcome the shortage of the commodity at utility stores. Only 5000 MT sugar reached at the godowns, while 20,000 MT sugar has yet to reach USC stores.
They said the TCP has no stocks in sugar mills of Sindh and the sugar has to be procured from Punjab to ensure availability of commodity, but as the Government of Punjab (GoP) had banned the movement of sugar, an artificial shortage has taken place in the utility stores of Sindh. The TCP asked Tando Muhammad Khan (TMK) Sugar Mills and Sehar Sugar Mills to provide 25,000 MT sugar to Karachi Zone, but the mills can only provide 5000 MT of sugar while 20,000 MT sugar stocks at both mills were damaged due to rains, they said.
The USC had asked the TCP to offload the imported sugar to overcome the shortage of the commodity at utility stores. The TCP refused and replied that the government is already giving subsidy of Rs 7/kg to the consumer by purchasing sugar with ex-mill rate Rs 45/kg and it is not possible to transfer the expensive imported sugar at USC, which cost Rs 65/kg.
Meanwhile, other essential kitchen items including ghee, oil, flour and pulses have also vanished from the various utility stores of the city during the holy month of Ramazan and people are being asked to come again on restoration of supply from zonal office. The people stand in long queue to get ghee, oil and sugar but the goods had not reached the utility stores till end of the day.
Due to late coming of USC staff at various USC stores, a large number of people observing fast were forced to stay outside in the sun on a hot day. The utility store of Frere Market did not open till 12:00 noon against the official opening time of 9:00am.
Despite repeated assurance of Minister for Industries and Production, Mian Manzoor Wattoo, the USC declared presenting of NIC card mandatory for the customers in order to get 2 kg bag of sugar. The USC sent additional officers at utility stores and assigned them the job to maintain list of customers with names and identity cards and ordered not to issue more than one bag of sugar to a single customer.
However, at some of the utility stores of the city, the store in-charge directed the customers to purchase other products like soaps and shampoos for getting 2 kg bag of sugar. The customers willing to get more sugar were asked to purchase products over Rs 1000 to get extra bags of the commodity.
Talking to Business Recorder at his office Regional Manager (USC) Karachi-Zone Sardar Muhammad Riaz denied the allegations and said the shortage was caused by suspension of supply to the utility stores, but the USC have huge stock of pulses, utility branded oil, ghee and sugar at godowns. The USC supplies the products to the utility stores on demand of store in-charge and the administration would take stern action against such storekeepers who do not report shortages.
Habibullah Khan Zonal Manager Karachi Chapter said the USC has written a letter to TCP and Ministry of Industries and Production to provide sugar stock for maintaining constant supply to the utility stores. The available stock of sugar is enough to cater to the need of utility stores for sales of a week and other stock of the commodity would to arrive soon.
He said there is no shortage of daily-use kitchen items including sugar, ghee, oil and pulses in Karachi zone and USC is working to ensure regular supply of essential commodities to the utility stores during the holy month of Ramazan.
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