ISLAMABAD: A crackdown launched by the Islamabad administration against overcharging has failed to produce desired results at least on the first days of Ramazan, as shopkeepers across the capital continue to overcharge customers without any concern for the official price list issued by the administration.

On the other hand, the administration has said the crackdown will continue without discrimination and shared a list of actions taken by the officials to enforce price lists. In a press note, it said three shops, two superstores, and 51 shopkeepers were arrested for charging excessive rates.

Despite these actions, prices continue to rise on the second day and the official price list which is supposed to be affixed at a prominent spot in shops andstalls remained missing almost everywhere, barring some exceptions in the official bazaars.

Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz responded to a query about the lax enforcement of price lists, saying that `best possible efforts are being taken` to implement this directive.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) organises four weekly bazaars in the city and the largest of them is in Sector H-9. But in these bazaars as well,overpricing was prevalent. The stallholders jack up their rates, despite the presence of the official rate list pasted at stalls.

The overcharging particularly was common in the fresh produce section. A kilogramme (kg) rate of strawberries was sold for Rs450 instead of Rs315 while pomegranates were being sold for up to Rs600 instead of Rs440.

Guava was listed at Rs210 per kilo but sold at Rs250.

Green chillies, bell peppers,and other produce were also overpriced. Capsicum was listed at Rs67 per kg but the sellers did not budge at anything less than Rs80. The price of green chillies was Rs84-104/kg, but it was offered at Rs50-60 per 250 gramme.

The official rate lists fail to deter shopkeepers from overcharging, and instead they tell customers to look for produce elsewhere if overpricing was their problem.`When I pointed out the disparity between official rates and the selling price, the stallholder taunted that `it was my affordability issue as everybody was buying it`,` said Ghulam Abbas, a journalist based in Islamabad. His complaint, however, was addressed after he went to the bazaar officials who ensured he`d get produce as per the list. `But that is also an issue; how many people feel comfortable expressing such issues and go to an office,` he said.

Another excuse the shopkeepers have is the disparity between `A-grade` and `B-grade` produce.

They sell low-quality produce as per the price list, while the betterquality products are sold at the rate of their liking. Responding to a query, the officials at the bazaar expressed an inability to control stallholders on the grounds that `it was their attitude` despite repeated warnings and fines.

The performance of the district administration in this regard also attracted flak from traders. `They issue price lists and tell the government that prices have gone down as the market rate was in line with the official price list, while shopkeepers fleece the buyers at their will,` said Ajmal Baloch, president of Traders Welfare Association, Islamabad.