Market Committee in the federal capital has failed to ensure better purchase and sale regulation of agricultural products and protection of interests of growers and consumers, due to meager resources and lack of power given to it.
Established a few months ago, the market committee has the authority to govern the regulation of the purchase and sale of agricultural production. It is responsible for the management of market and issuance of licenses to dealers, wholesalers and brokers to operate within the market.
As per rules of the committee, any officer or servant has the authority to inspect and seize agriculture product and he/she, in the course of performance of his/her duties, may enter into a building, enclosure, or place used for sale, purchase or measurement of an agricultural product in the market. It is also mandated to issue daily rates of prices of agricultural products and ensure its display at the shops.
According to the rules, the commission agent can charge 3 per cent for food grain and other crops, 7.5 per cent for fruits and 7 per cent for vegetables, worked out on the basis of the value of the agricultural product.
Despite these responsibilities mentioned in rules, Market Committee has failed to ensure stability in prices keeping in view the consumers interests. Lack of resources and power to assert authority and shortage of staff are main reasons behind failure to protect the consumer rights and implementation of price list of various commodities.
Director Agriculture Extension Services Lubna Ghias said that sanctioned strength of the body is 148 staffers, but at present the matters are being run on interim arrangements adding that a staff of 35 people has been withdrawn from various departments of the deputy commissioner office to run the routine affairs.
About fixing prices of various commodities in open market on routine basis, she said, “We are not aware of the purchase rates of various items in abundance from wholesalers to the purchase retailers who set the prices at their own. It is the responsibility of the price magistrates to ensure implementation of the list issued by Market Committee”.
To a question about the impact on prices after recent reduction in petroleum products, she admitted that there has not been a significant effect on the prices.
