KARACHI, Sept 4: The city government has failed to meet the target of establishing 50 “fair price stalls” and so far 20 such stalls have been opened, it emerged on Thursday.

The move of establishing so-called fair price stalls was aimed at helping the common man overcome the prevailing price-hike that registered a sharp rise with the advent of Ramazan.

This reporter, who visited various fair price stalls on Thursday, found that the quality of fruit and vegetables being sold at these outlets left a lot to be desired.

A city government official told Dawn that hurdles created by market associations in various localities were responsible for the local government’s failure to establish the required number of fair price stalls.

The assistant district officer of the city government’s enterprise and investment promotion department, Jawed Akhtar, said that had there been no resistance from the markets’ associations in various areas, the city government would have established all the 50 stalls.

However, observers said that if the city government had not made “half-hearted” attempts to set up fair price stalls, it would be succeeded in meeting its target of establishing 50 such stalls across the metropolis.

He said that the associations in various markets across the city were putting up resistance fearing that they might lose their customers who would ultimately opt for these CDGK stalls due to a considerable price difference. These stalls, he added, were operating on a no-loss-and-no-profit basis.

The official said that the local government was facing difficulties in setting up these stalls in areas like Shah Faisal Colony, Rafah-i-Aam Society, Landhi, Malir, etc.

A visit to various such stalls established across the city showed that good quality onion sold at Rs35 to Rs40 per kilo in the local markets was available at Rs30 a kilo at these stalls while its notified rate was Rs31 per kilo.

Melon is available at Rs25-Rs30 per kilo at these stalls as against Rs40-Rs50 per kilo in the local markets and the official rate is Rs26 per kilo.

Similarly, golden apple is available at Rs40 per kilo at the fair price stalls while its price in the markets is tagged at Rs50 to Rs60 per kilo as against the official rate of Rs36 for a kilo. The Iranian date, a commodity high in demand during Ramazan, is being provided at Rs80 per kilo at the CDGK stalls while in the market it is being sold at Rs100 per kilo.

However, the person involved in selling kiryana items like sugar, baisan, flour, black and white grams and some pulses was absent on Thursday.

The CDGK official said that other commodities like sugar, flour, black and white gram, gram flour, etc were also available at the stalls at discounted rates.

He said unlike previous Ramazan not a single Bachat Bazaar had been established. Last year, he said, as many as eight to ten such markets were established to provide the masses with essential items at discounted rates.

Mr Akhtar was of the view that the main reason for not establishing such markets this year was a lukewarm response from the public, which according to him, remained enthusiastic only during the first eight to 10 days of Ramazan.

When his attention was drawn towards a Bachat Bazaar which was established opposite Sir Syed University in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on first Ramazan and later closed, he said that the establishment of that market had nothing to do with the enterprise and investment promotion department of the city government. He said that the relevant town nazim might have tried to establish the market on his own.

Later, a Gulshan town official said that the opening of the Bachat Bazar opposite Sir Syed University had been deferred for 10 days.

78 ‘profiteers’ jailed

Despite government efforts, retailers continued to violate official price-list. The city government has sent to jail as many as 78 persons accused of overcharging in the last two days. In the last two days, some 718 challans worth Rs945,650 have been issued to retailers and shopkeepers in which the share of fruit-sellers remained 50 per cent followed by vegetable dealers, grocers and milk-sellers.

Fruit-sellers are openly charging Rs50-Rs60 per kilo for golden apple, Rs40-Rs60 per dozen for banana, Rs80-Rs100 per kilo for round grapes, Rs120-Rs140 per kilo for Sundar Khani grapes and Rs40-Rs50 a kilo for melon, while fresh milk rates hover between Rs40-Rs44 per litre.

Many retailers are demanding Rs70 to Rs80 for one kilo of gram flour and Rs90-Rs95 per kilo for white gram.