Essential commodities: DCs directed to fix and circulate concessional prices

Divisional Commissioner Hyderabad, Ahmed Bux Narejo has directed all deputy commissioners of the division to fix and circulate concessional prices of essential commodities with the consultation of wholesalers, retailers, consumers and market committees before the commencement of the holy month of Ramzan.
He directed them to constitute district and taluka-wise vigilance committees having representation of consumers, shopkeepers and other stakeholder organisations and ensure proper weight & measurement, supply of qualitative food items, ensure fair prices of essential commodities through bachat bazaar, stalls and activation of Utility Store Corporation in their concerned areas.
He directed that district and taluka-wise vigilance committees must ensure that all shopkeepers, push-cart owners are displaying the list of prices of their items at proper visible places of their facility and implementing it in letter and spirit.
This he directed while presiding over a meeting regarding price control arrangements during Ramzan-ul-Mubarak held at Shahbaz Hall, Shahbaz Building here.
The deputy commissioner said that adulteration, black marketing, and creating artificial scarcity of commodities and charging high prices from consumers are serious crimes and warned that whosoever is found involved in such crimes would be dealt with iron hands.
He said that government is keen to provide relief of prices specially to the people of poor and middle class subsequently it has allocated rupees 2.25 billion to provide subsidy on flour prices alone. He said that under this package, a 10Kg bag of flour would be made available to consumers at Rs 210/-.
Narejo directed the management of Hesco, Sui Gas and Wasa for providing uninterrupted services to their consumers while municipal administrations/town committees should ensure proper cleanliness at their concerned areas. He also directed officers of Sindh Police and Rangers to provide full security especially at public places, scheduled bachat bazaars, stalls and outlets of utility stores in the division.
The representative of USC informed the meeting that his management has made all kitchen items available at stores. He said that subsidy of Rs 14/- on edible oil and of Rs 10/- on each essential food items would be provided to consumers as per the policy of the government. He said that during the holy month of Ramzan-ul-Mubarak mobile service of Utility Stores would be launched to facilitate the people at their doorsteps.
Participants of the meeting, while taking part in deliberation, voiced their concern that prices of kitchen items, fruits, vegetables have started increasing and going beyond the approach of common man before the advent of Ramzan-ul-Mubarak. They were of the view that market committees have totally failed but expressed their confidence that the commissionerate system would prove strong enough to curb the hoarders, profiteers with the help of assistant commissioners, for which delegating of magisterial powers to the Assistant Commissioners was very much essential.