Grocery, fruits, vegetables: DCs not controlling prices despite magisterial powers

Although Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of all the five districts are enjoying full magisterial powers under the system to fine the grocers for overcharging and selling edible items at inflated rates but they have not yet created any positive impact as far as controlling rising prices of food items is concerned, it emerged on Saturday.
Commissioner Karachi Roshan Ali Sheikh had constituted five different committees to fix prices of edible items under the supervision of deputy commissioners but these committees are failed to deliver any result. Sources said that Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners of all the five districts are not paying any heed to control the prices of grocery, fruits, vegetables and other items as per price lists issued by Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), it is learned.
A senior official in Estate & Investment Promotion (E&IP) department told Business Recorder that the department was issuing 5,000 lists of fruits' and vegetables' prices daily and 10,000 lists of grocery items fortnightly. "It's the duty of deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and other concerned officials to ensure implementation of the prices as per the official price lists," he added.
According to the Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 1979, "any person who contravenes any order made under section 3 or a notification issued, or order made, under section 6, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term of up to three years and with fine, which may be up to one lac rupees." A visit to different markets revealed that not even a single vendor and shop owner has displayed the official prices list of grocery items, fruits and vegetables at their business points, which is being issued by KMC as per schedule. No official was present at Counter Number 32 of One Window Operation at Civic Centre, which has been established to deal with the public complaints regarding price control and profiteering.