The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) is facing hardship due to ever increasing price of sugar in the retail market and resultantly influx of consumers at its countrywide outlets. Sources told Business Recorder, the USC is unable to supply sugar at subsidised rate at its outlets due to huge increase in the number of consumers.
"The sugar is available at the USC outlets at Rs 45 per kilogram, while the retail price of the commodity has gone up to Rs 70 per kilogram in the open market, they said, adding that due to difference of Rs 25 on per kilogram rush has increased at utility stores significantly."
They said the gap between the demand and supply widened, but the capacity of utility stores could not be increased due to which the corporation has failed to meet the demand of the consumers. "They said the shortage of the sweetener at the utility stores has resulted into a war like situation where every second consumer pull legs of another person in a queue," they maintained.
"At some utility stores in Karachi, the workers of political parties, snatched sacks of sweetener at gunpoint and fled from the crime scene," the sources said. On the other hand, the high-ups of the USC administration provide a certain amount of sugar to the local headquarters of the political groups every month to avoid confrontation with these groups, they added.
They disclosed that the corporation was selling sugar stocks, which were imported last year to reduce the supply-demand gap and the stock would finish next month. The sugar mills have already refused to supply the commodity to the corporation. Talking to Business Recorder, Manager USC Karachi-Zone Sardar Muhammad Riaz said the zone has not received any letter from the centre to make CNIC mandatory for issuance of the commodity. "The rush of the people outside the outlets has increased due to huge difference in prices at the retail shops and the USC outlets," he agreed.