KARACHI: Commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui admitted before the Sindh High (SHC) on Thursday that milk sellers are violating the officially fixed retail price of fresh milk, which was fixed at Rs70 back in April 2012.
He made this admission while filing his comments on a petition filed by the civil rights campaigner, Rana Faizul Hasan, against the sale of fresh milk at exorbitant rates in the city.
In the report submitted to the court on behalf of the commissioner and controller general of price and supplies, it was revealed that per litre price of milk was fixed at Rs64.50 for dairy farmers, wholesale price at Rs67 and retail price at Rs70 through a notification dated April 9, 2012.
Siddiqui said, under the price control laws, only the controller general has the power to fix milk prices. He claimed that enforcement of the writ of the government and implementation of public policy has seriously been affected since the abolition of the executive magistracy on August 14, 2001.
The commissioner maintained, however, that a campaign has been launched and legal action is being taken against unjust profiteering and price checking. He added that prosecution is being done regularly by the deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and the mukhtiarkars, who have been authorised to function as price control magistrates.
The commissioner alleged that despite all these measures, the milk sellers have been violating the Act by selling the commodity at higher prices. The sellers have been advised to adhere to the laws, but they file petitions in the court from time to time. He said that the campaign is constantly reviewed while the consumers' society and media representatives are also included in the review session to bring transparency and effectiveness.
Quality control
Siddiqui claimed that health inspectors of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation as well as the Sindh health department are involved in the campaign. The health secretary has been approached to ascertain the adverse effects of the POSTAN injection, which is being used by cattle owners to increase milk production. The commissioner said the commodity is being sold at inflated rates in various localities, including Gulshan-e-Iqbal, North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Korangi, Baldia, PIB Colony, Muhammad Memon, Keamari and Gadap.
He added that of the 1,117 samples of fresh milk and yogurt obtained to check their quality, 299 failed the quality test. Around 182 cases were filed before the relevant judicial magistrates, he added. There are 74 price control officers, who are performing their duties across the city. The commissioner assured that no leniency would be shown to the functionaries found to be conniving with the milk sellers at the wholesale level.
The bench supplied copies of the commissioner's report to the petitioner and others to go through the same and file objections or counter replies, if any. The hearing was adjourned till November 7.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2014.
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