KARACHI: The Sindh High Court was informed on Monday that the local administration is yet to finalise the price of fresh milk as negotiations are still underway despite a series of meetings between relevant stakeholders.
The final meeting in this regard is scheduled for November 24. The Commissioner Karachi Office has been negotiating with all stakeholders and is in the final phase to finalise milk prices in the local limits of Karachi Division, a report submitted by an additional commissioner on behalf of the commissioner stated.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh which was hearing a contempt of court application for the administration’s failure to arrest arbitrary hike in milk price observed essential commodities prices have increased and it appears that authorities are oblivious to people’s woes.
The SHC has repeatedly issued several orders calling for fixing fair prices of fresh milk in the metropolis.
The report presented before the court on behalf of the commissioner stated that his office has imposed a penalty of Rs12 million against as many as 2,310 profiteers in the last month.
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According to a report filed earlier various meetings in compliance with the SHC order of September 21, 2021, regarding fixation of milk price were held time and again in the office of commissioner Karachi division, but all the meetings failed to achieve a breakthrough.
The report had noted that the cost of inputs from Hyderabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar would be obtained and assessed, and compared with Karachi by the Bureau of Supply and Prices.
The report had also stated auction of milk prices at Lea Market would be monitored on daily basis for at least two weeks. The monitoring will be done so the administration can get a rough idea about the feasibility of conducting a daily open auction of milk of determining its daily price.
Read more: Price of milk in Karachi yet to be fixed, SHC told
The bench after taking the report on record directed the commissioner to fix a fair price of fresh milk at the earliest, and continue its drive against profiteers.
Further hearing in the matter was referred to a date to be fixed by the office of the court.
