Our infatuation with controlling the prices of essential commodities is ancient. Since antiquity, our kings and their counsels have tried to keep a check on surging prices. Kautilya Chanakya, the famous philosopher and teacher of ancient India, emphasized effective price control measures in his book Arthashastra. In his time, prices were ascertained by the Superintendent of Commerce, an office that handed out fines and punishments to those found guilty of making undue profit. So, if you were to roam the streets of Pataliputra, the seat of the Maurya Dynasty, rest assured that the prices would be well within your reach. The great ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, A.
Action ordered against retailers, farmers charging higher milk price
Karachi
February 3, 2021
One of dairy farmers’ cartels in the city hiked the milk price by Rs46 per litre late on Monday. The farmers’ association demanded of Commissioner Karachi Navaid Ahmed to revise the milk price every four months as per a directive of the Sindh High Court.
The association asked to place a ban on the export of animal fodder and sign a free trade agreement with them to import animal fodder; otherwise, there would be a Rs15 price hike by the month of May. However, the price hike was rejected by the Milk Retailers Association, other associations of dairy farmers and the commissioner. Sindh Agriculture Supply and Prices Department on Monday issued a notification to all the divisional commissioners across the province to take against the abrupt price hike of fresh milk and violation of the notified milk price which is Rs94 per litre.