KARACHI, July 28: Consumers have not witnessed any significant improvement in the official price monitoring campaign as fruit vendors continue overcharging by completely ignoring the official rates for Ramazan.

Last year, the patrolling of senior government officials was quite effective and consumers tried to purchase the items especially fruits in presence of these government officials.

However, these officials are rarely seen in the markets.

Consumers also said that the small fruit vendors and other traders are being targeted mainly rather than big vendors. The official fruit price list is barely visible and consumers are forced to pay high prices.

A senior official in Control Room of Commissioner Karachi did not agree that the price checking campaign is weak this year as compared to 2011. He claimed that around 2,462 traders of various commodities were imposed fined of around Rs2.76 million from July 21 to July 28 for not displaying price lists and for overcharging. Fruit vendors continued to top the daily report on price checking issued by Commissioner Karachi.

He added that 134 persons were sent to jail from first to eight Ramazan. He added that in 2011 fines of Rs10 million were imposed on traders and fruit vendors.

Like last year, 26 Mukhtiarkars, 26 Assistant Commissioners, 10 Additional Deputy Commissioners and five Deputy Commissioners are looking after the price monitoring and profiteering in a city of 18-20 million population and 18 towns which looks a mammoth task to achieve desired results.

A government official said that price checking campaign can only bear positive result if 250-300 officials are assigned to control profiteering with the help of Police.

Complaint centres are not very prominent in the city as the official said it was the job of Bureau of Supply and Prices for setting up complaint centres but some assistant commissioners have opened these centres in their areas.

The official said that poor law and order situation can be blamed as one of the main reasons for not setting up a number of complaint centres. Besides, the officials are also quite frightened due to lawlessness while taking action any action against the market forces and traders, the official added. ASK