KARACHI: Struggling hard to find various food items at the government notified rates, consumers face a sharp different between the prices fixed by the Karachi commissioner and the market rates of sweets, bakery and confectionary items in the metropolis, especially at big and famous shops, where the price difference is more than double.

The commissioner has fixed prices of pakora, pheni, khajla, jalebi, etc, and categorised them in ‘A and B’ qualities.

However, it is not clear whether these two categories are only for small and medium-sized manufacturers or do they apply to big confectioneries as well.

On the other hand, many confectioneries do not follow the commissioner rates claiming that they are preparing these items in good quality ‘desi ghee’, which do not fall in this category, according to their claims.

Given the situation, consumers find themselves at the losing end as no visible crackdown is being carried out on manufacturers of these items.

Jalebi selling at Rs940-1,400kg against official rate of Rs440-Rs400kg

Most consumers believe that officials do not hold any influence over these big manufacturers, thus consumers are at the mercy of these big businesses to pay hefty prices in the name of ‘brand and so-called quality’.

Small and medium sized shopkeepers usually face the wrath of price checking officials, who impose fines of Rs8,000-15,000 for overcharging from official rates, a small sweet maker said.

Price-conscious people throng small to medium-sized retail outlets for purchasing jalebi, samosas, pheni, pakora, khajla, etc, while people from upper class income groups, who are not bothered by high food inflation and utility bills, lift these items from big manufacturers’ outlets.

The commissioner rates of pheni and khajla are fixed at Rs690 and Rs590 for A and B qualities.

However, at branded shops these are available at Rs1,400-1620 per kg.

The manufacturers claim that these items are prepared in Asli ghee at their shops.

Those shopkeepers preparing these items in regular ghee or oil, are selling khajla and pehni at Rs800 per kg.

The official prices of jalebi A and B qualities are fixed at Rs440 and Rs400 per kg.

In contrast, shops offering jalebi in desi ghee are charging Rs940-1,400 per kg while non-desi ghee variety is available at Rs600-800 per kg.

While the price regulator has mentioned in price lists A and B categories, it is silent on rates of products prepared in desi ghee, banaspati ghee and in regular cooking oil.

“The price list of commissioner of Karachi has created confusion by separating two qualities [A and B] without mentioning its preparation in normal or desi oil or ghee. The letter ‘A’ does not mean that the items are prepared in desi ghee,” a sweet retailer said.

In the commissioner’s list, pakora rates have been fixed at Rs560 and Rs480 per kg for A and B qualities, respectively, while at many big outlets, customers are being charged Rs660-800 for a kilo.

Pakoras prepared in normal oil or ghee is selling at Rs600 per kg.

The official rate of Aaloo (potato) samosa (A and B) varieties carrying a weight of 60 grams, is Rs33.

Potato samosa ‘A’ quality carrying weight of 60 grams is sold at the control price of Rs30-Rs33 at big, medium and small sized shops.

However, the small samosa at various shops create doubts that it may carry less than 50grams weight.

Consumers are unable to find any Aaloo samosa at the price of Rs28 in the city.

The price of Keema samosa (35 grams) is also fixed by the commissioner at Rs33 and Rs28 per piece for A and B varieties, which is selling in market at the rate of Rs50 and Rs60.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2024