LAHORE: Amid complaints of insufficient supplies of sugar to the provincial metropolis and unavailability of sugar at the government rate, the city district government has launched a crackdown to ensure that people get sugar at Rs 85 per kilogram at retail level.

Focal person for Lahore Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Shahid Abbas while talking to Business Recorder said they are trying their best to supply sugar to the provincial metropolis as per demand. He claimed that 800 metric tons of sugar was supplied to different dealers registered with the government on Sunday. However, he admitted that complaints of overcharging are pouring in.

He said that the government has launched a crackdown at retail level to ensure the government rate. He said shopkeepers are adopting various tactics including that they had old stocks or how could they sell the commodity at control rate when they had purchased it on higher rates. He said that on Sunday 86 FIRs were registered against the shopkeepers on the charges of overcharging from consumers.

Meanwhile, Lahore Sugar Dealers Association (LSDA) Chairman Asghar Butt while talking to this scribe alleged that supplies are not enough and demand is very high because of the advent of Ramazan ul Mubarak.

He claimed that he had stopped selling sugar for the time being and concentrating on other commodities. He claimed that demand submitted from different dealers of Lahore on April 11, 2021 was around 1248 metric tons.

Hamid Akmal, another sugar dealer said that he had got himself registered with the district administration and submitted his demand and looking forward to receive supplies from tomorrow.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021