VEHARI: The traders of local fruit and vegetable market on Sunday staged a demonstration against the district administration for getting registered an FIR against the office-bearers of the Anjuman Arhtian Vehari (a body representing commission agents) for their alleged involvement in overcharging.

The traders locked the main gate of the fruit and vegetable market situated on Burewala Road and staged a demonstration there, raising slogans against the district administration and officials of the Market Committee.

Commission agents’ representatives, including Sheikh Ramzan, Abbas Ali, and Ramzan Gujjar, alleged the district administration and market committee officials were interfering in the bidding process and forcing the traders to sell fruits and vegetables at lower prices.

They said when the the traders insisted that the bidding process should be fair and without any interference, the district administration got registered a case against the Anjuman’s four office-bearers under section 353, 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 16-MPO with Sadar police.

They vowed to continue their protest till the administration stopped interference in the bidding process and withdrawal of the FIR against the four office-bearers -- Sheikh Ramzan, Abbas Ali , Umer , Ramzan Gujjar.

On the other hand, Market Committee Secretary Rao Nadeem Asgher told Dawn that Deputy Commissioner Arfan Ali Kathia and District Police Officer Najeebur Rehman Bugvi had been monitoring the bidding process at the market on daily basis.

He said that because of the monitoring of the bidding process the prices of the fruits and vegetables had become stable in the open market and the overcharging by the traders was controlled.

He said that on Saturday the DC found that some of the traders were overcharging and ordered registration of an FIR against them. The traders, he said, were staging the demo against the action to defend those involved in overcharging.

Later, the police and district administration opened the market’s main gate locked by the traders by breaking its lock.

When the police tried to arrest the traders nominated in the FIR during the demo, the protesters offered resistance and got them released.

The DC, refusing to accept the traders demands, said the administration would not tolerate overcharging.

Mr Kathia asked the wholesalers to reduce their profits during Ramazan and facilitate costumers in buying essential commodities at reasonable prices in the open market as well.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2019