12/02/2008 (Daily Times, Pakistan), Karachi - An overwhelming majority of utility stores in Karachi is currently facing acute shortage of ghee and cooking oil.

“Emergence of ghee and cooking oil shortage after flour crisis warrants attention before it also becomes a crisis,” said one consumer while talking to Daily Times at a utility store situated off Nishtar Road, at Pakistan Quarters.

Large crowds of consumers were witnessed standing in queues at different outlets of the Utility Store Corporation (USC) demanding ghee and cooking oil, but majority of them had to return empty-handed.

Another consumer standing in a long queue attributed the rush of buyers to price difference factor because one kilogram of the commodity is sold at Rs 120 to Rs 130 per kg in the open market while the same, though of inferior quality, is available at all stores of the corporation at subsidised rates of Rs 67 per kg.

This huge difference between branded ghee and cooking oil and those available at USC outlets is attracting crowds of consumers to outlets of the corporation, said an employee at one outlet.

He said Manpasand ghee and cooking oil, prepared on special orders by Dalda, are available at Rs 67 per kg and this low price is drawing large crowds.

Replying to a question, he said after recent increase in prices of branded cooking oil and ghee including Rafhan cooking oil, Tullo ghee and cooking oil, Meezan ghee and cooking oil and Habib cooking oil, the number of consumers visiting USC outlets for purchasing the commodity at subsidised rates increased.

One of the consumers at a USC outlet situated inside Frere Market complained to the reporter that he had failed to purchase Manpasand ghee or cooking oil for two consecutive days because it was not available.

Expressing his annoyance over the shortage of ghee and cooking oil, he said inflated prices in the open market is beyond his means as he can hardly afford to buy it at Rs 110 to Rs 120 per kg.

Masood Alam Niazi, Regional Manager of the USC for Sindh and Balochistan, admitted that there was problem of availability because of extremely high demand at majority of the outlets.

He also said the price difference had attracted large number of buyers, which had created shortage of ghee and cooking oil at the utility stores.

He said that a total of 700 tons of ghee and cooking oil is supplied to utility stores across Sindh. “Unless the government enhances ghee and cooking oil quota of utility stores, shortage would remain,” he added.