HYDERABAD, Aug 20: With Ramazan round the corner, nothing has been done thus far to put in place an effective price control mechanism, which can enforce the official rates of essential commodities, fruit and vegetables and protect consumers from overcharging by retailers and profiteers during the holy month.

Though there is a 30-member district price control committee comprising government officials, parliamentarians and unelected people belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Pakistan People’s Party, but it has so far met only once. Many members did not bother to attend the meeting.

The committee formed by the DCO comprises the EDO of revenue as its secretary, the EDO of agriculture and the MNAs and MPAs of the MQM and the PPP as members. Even the losers of general elections have been included as members.

The district government issued a price list on July 18 but it appeared the retailers did not see any benefit or harm in following it.

DCO Ali Ahmed Lund, who is controller general of prices, has appointed 10 special judicial magistrates to try on the spot offenders under Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering Hoarding Act 1977 and Sindh Essential Commodities Price Control and Prevention of Hoarding Ordinance 2006 but it has little effect.

Revenue magistrates usually visit markets minutes before Iftar and impose fines on violators to prove they are discharging their duty when majority of consumers have already been robbed.

Majority of people who go to markets to purchase vegetables, mutton, beef and fruits during morning hours ultimately fall victim to overcharging by retailers with no official nearby to come to their rescue.

The official list has fixed prices of flour, pulses, rice and chillies and failed to mention milk, vegetables, fruits, chicken, beef and mutton. The committee and the revenue magistrates have so far failed to enforce even this truncated list.

For example, the retailers are selling flour at Rs30 per kg flour in violation of its official rate of Rs25 per kg and milk sellers who had already warned of raise in prices, have been selling milk at Rs40 per litre since Aug 1. They argue that they cannot do without it as dairy farmers have increased around Rs60-70 on 40 litres of milk.

No government agency or price control committee has done anything to check adulteration in milk. It seems either they have accepted the menace or they just do not take it seriously.

Chakki owners on their part contend that given the price of a 100 kg wheat bag they are unable to sell flour at official rate.

The price control exercise has largely become cosmetic, with district government’s revenue officials issuing price lists before Ramazan without giving any thought to how will they be implemented.

The revenue officials’ visiting markets and bazaars has become no more than an annual ritual performed during the holy month. “I don’t know how the price-hike can be controlled by the committee because I couldn’t attend the body’s first meeting,” said a member.

Another member, PPP MPA Farheen Mughal, called for activating the committee to give relief to consumers.

Fruit retailers have already raised prices with official price lists nowhere to be seen in the markets. “We are issuing price lists for vegetables and fruits regularly,” insisted the EDO of revenue Barkat Rizvi.

With the onset of Ramazan, prices of vegetables and fruits climb up a steep plane with vendors blaming commission agents or wholesalers for the hike leaving consumers to bear the major brunt.