SHC orders commissioner to notify new milk price in 10 days

Bench says it may ask Sindh government to fix price if civic bodies fail to do so

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed on Tuesday the Karachi commissioner to fix and notify the price of loose milk per litre within 10 days.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, also directed the commissioner to submit a copy of the official notification in this regard by the next hearing.

These directives came on a petition filed by civil rights campaigner Muhammed Imran Shahzad, seeking reduction in prices of dairy products and establishment of a local taskforce to regulate the prices.

During Tuesday's proceedings, Karachi Commissioner Aijaz Ahmed Khan informed the SHC that price of fresh milk had finally been fixed after rounds of meetings with the stakeholders, including dairy farmers and wholesalers.

The commissioner said the price of milk had tentatively been suggested at Rs95 per litre, however, the retailers did not agree as they wanted to increase it by Rs6 per litre.

The retailers informed the court that the production cost of milk was Rs84 per litre, however, after including other costs, the total cost of milk was calculated to be Rs94 per litre.



Justice Abbasi expressed displeasure over the additions in milk's cost. He inquired dairy farmers why they did not sell milk directly to consumers. "A game is being played. Everyone is just trying how to make money," the bench observed.

There should be a mechanism through which people could get milk at affordable rates, Justice Abbasi said, adding that wholesalers and retailers could earn profit but in doing so ordinary people should not suffer.

Justice Abbasi observed that in case the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and other stakeholders failed to resolve the issue, the court might refer the matter to the Sindh government to decide the same on its own.

The dairy farmers complained that in Punjab there had been a permanent livestock secretary for the last five years but in Sindh the secretary was changed after every two months. They pleaded to the court to decide the matter itself rather than referring it to the Sindh government.

The commissioner informed the bench that the new price of milk had not yet been fixed, therefore, the commodity would be sold at Rs85 per litre till the announcement of new price.

After hearing arguments from both the sides, the bench directed the Karachi commissioner to fix and notify new price of fresh milk within 10 days.

Case history

The petitioner had approached the court stating that authorities concerned were fixing the prices of dairy products without following the procedure set under the Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 1977.



He recalled that the high court had in August, 2016 directed the authorities concerned to develop a mechanism to control and maintain the prices of dairy products. However, milk prices were increased in violation of the court's earlier order.

The SHC was informed that the court had directed on August 23, 2013 the city commissioner and others concerned to devise a mechanism to control and maintain the prices of dairy products, including milk. The petitioner alleged that the mafia had once again unilaterally and illegally increased the milk price in violation of the court's order.

Shahzad argued that the increase in the price of milk was unjust, given that the prices of petroleum products had been decreasing in international and local markets. He mentioned that the price of milk was fixed at Rs70 per litre, when the price of petrol was Rs110 per litre.

Pursuant to the court's earlier order, the petitioner said the commissioner had on April 9, 2012 notified the retail price of milk at Rs70 per litre, but the dairy farmers increased the rate to Rs84 per litre on the pretext of an increase in petroleum products' prices.

Shahzad added that later, the dairy farmers proposed to further increase the milk price to Rs94 per litre without any justification, as the fuel price had decreased.

He pleaded to the court to order law enforcement agencies to launch a crackdown against traders selling the commodity at exorbitant prices. A direction was also sought for the Rangers and police to ensure the sale of milk at reasonable prices.