Shopkeepers strike against heavy fines, rude teams.

Byline: Abid Mahmood

NAROWAL -- Traders of grocery and fruit and vegetables shut their shops on Monday to protest heavy fines on them by the administration in the name of price control. They also took out a rally from Eidgah Chowk to City Chowk and condemned the `inappropriate' behaviour of of price control teams.

The Anjuman Tajran and Karyana and Green Grocers' Association, Narowal, said they were protesting rude behaviour of raiding teams, and blackmailing and heavy fines by the district administration. There was complete strike by Kariana Merchants Association and Green Grocers' Association.

They said shopkeepers were being slapped a Rs5,000 to Rs30,000 fine. Shopkeepers say they requested the officers to cut the fines because they were too poor to pay them.

Shopkeepers Mohammad Akram and Salamat Ali said the district administration insulted traders and shopkeepers in the name of price control. 'How can we sell Kiran Ghee at Rs180 per kg after purchasing it at Rs200 in wholesale? If administration provides us with daily commodities at their fixed rates we will sell them on official rates,' said Akram.

Vendors Allah Rakha and Abdul Karim said that they bought Rs5,000 to 7,000 vegetables from the market. If we sell vegetables on control rates we can't support our families, they said. Trader Mohammad Sakhawat said, 'I sell sugar in wholesale. The district administration officer took...