Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui on Tuesday said that the increase in milk prices in the metropolis is depriving people of Rs 600 million on daily basis.
He was presiding over a meeting to discuss the public complaints about sale of sub-standard, adulterated milk and its over-pricing by the retailers. The commissioner took strong exception to the absence of any milk retailers’ representative and warned that such carelessness may lead to issuance of warrants.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Karachi dairy farmers and suppliers association, wholesalers, different consumers’ associations and officials.
It was agreed that a committee headed by Karachi Additional Commissioner (II) Haji Ahmad will undertake surprise visits of dairy farms, milk storage units and retail shops scattered across the city.
On the occasion, Karachi Consumers Society representative Rana Faizul Hasan presented a detailed report mentioning that 90 percent of the milk available at retailers’ shop, in one or the other way, contains impurities. This is besides the fact that people are forced to purchase milk much above the fixed rate.
The participants of the meeting unanimously decided that the officially fixed rates for sale of milk by dairy farmers and producers will be Rs 64.50 per Kg, Rs 67 per Kg by whole-sellers and Rs 70 per Kg by retailers.
The Commissioner also directed the deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners to ensure daily collection of milk samples from different dairy farms, wholesale and retail shops.