Balochistan Point Voice of Nation
It is in a way a matter of the fact that in Kalat every trader has opened a hot market of robbing the innocent citizens because the price control committee in Kalat is totally inactive. There is no level of price control seen in kalat. Everything has been limited to only paper work. No practical implementation and no check and balance. Shopkeepers have been full authority to violate the rules. Traders charge consumers according to their own will. They charge them with the highest possible cost by providing lowest quality of good.
This is to say that they are violating Act XXIX of 1977 which is for price control and prevention of profiteering and hoarding. There is no action taken against such people who contravene this Act. The reason behind is lack of interest of price control committee in Kalat. While looking at the uncontrollable increasing prices of commodities. It seems that price control team has remained inactive for many years.
According to the consumers they are kept unaware of daily useable food and other items as the retailers do not display price list their in their shop. Actually, If someone asks about extra charges so, he is kept shut with some fake explanations and excuses. The excuses are that they bring everything from Quetta or Karachi, as they pay extra travelling charges. Therefore, they sell them on the highest possible cost.
There are some shopkeepers who are so bold in doing this, if someone asks reason of selling things so expansive. He gets the reply in a most rude way.
The price controlling team only put their weight for fixing fresh milk and chicken prices. According to the sources, daily utilizable products like vegetables, fruits, utilities and all daily products are being sold on different retail prices without any authority’s check. Such products are going above poor’s reach. Even the prices differ a lot from shop to shop. Which is a clear indication that everyone has own prices. No law and no respect for the rules of price control Act. Not a single authority bothers to ask, on which basis every single day there is seen a great fluctuation in their prices.
Open market products which do not have fix prices of which the Traders take unnecessary extra profit.
The concerned authorities and Price Control committee are requested to take action against high prices of goods in Kalat and the prices should be adjusted accordingly.
Waqar Ahmed Shahwani, Kalat.
Published in The Balochistan Point on July 8, 2017
