Taking advantage of the situation, shopkeepers are violating price lists issued by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) to keep a check on the commodities' price, because the concerned officials are unable to keep vigilance on the market activities due to their commitments in the relief works for the flood victims, Business Recorder learnt Monday.
Violations of the price lists were most observed in those areas and towns where the revenue staff could not carry out their duties to keep a check on profiteers, as the government has assigned them additional duties to look after the relief camps established in their towns.
According to sources, price checking in Keamari, Baldia, Orangi, Bin Qasim towns etc, have almost come to a halt because of the prevalent circumstances. The revenue staff, under the DDOs of the towns, is assigned duties to ensure the availability of necessary items in the relief camps; therefore they are unable to carry out their earlier assigned task of keeping vigilance on the prices of commodities.
Therefore the shopkeepers/ retailers across the city are taking advantage of a lack in the administrative control, they said.The lists which the Enterprise and Investment Department (E & IP) of the CDGK is responsible to distribute twice a month free of cost, were also reported to be unavailable in most of the markets and at various stalls of the 'Bachat' Bazaars.
However, sources in the retailers market alleged that lists were being prepared without any consultations with the concerned people. Some small retailers, who did not want to be named, alleged that some influential wholesalers, in connivance with CDGK's inspectors, were resisting the operation team to enter the markets.
They also alleged the lists were mostly prepared in drawing rooms and the prices showed in the price data were contrary to the market mechanism. However the sources in the CDGK continued claiming that magistrates led by Matanat Ali Khan, Additional Executive District Officer Revenue, have fined and even jailed many profiteers during their operations in 18 town of the city during the last 20 days.