LAHORE: The supply of sugar to shops through town administrations and union council nazims is only benefiting shopkeepers aligned with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – leaving those allied with other parties to rue their fate or think seriously about shifting loyalties.

Union council nazims are responsible for identifying shops that are to be supplied sugar by town administrations. However, a Daily Times survey found that shopkeepers on lists provided by union council nazims from the Pakistan People’s Party and the PML-Quaid are being “completely ignored”.

Various shopkeepers from Union Council 102 (Wahdat Colony) – which has a population of almost 200,000 with 30,000 registered voters – complained that they had not been supplied sugar “in total disregard of the list provided by the union council nazim … although we followed the prescribed procedure and submitted copies of our identity cards”.

One of the shopkeepers in the area said sugar was being supplied to a limited number of shopkeepers, “especially those who are affiliated with the ruling provincial party”. Another shopkeeper, Malik Ilyas, said that even the process for the supply of sugar had been politicised. He said political differences between nazims and naib nazims were affecting not only shopkeepers, but were also troubling consumers. “It is beyond me how families can manage an entire week using just a 1 kilogramme bag of sugar they buy from Sunday bazaars … political differences are wreaking havoc for those involved in the supply chain and the end consumers,” he said.

Citizens urge: Meanwhile, waiting in lengthy queues at Sunday bazaars to buy the essential, citizens called on the government to realise that the masses were suffering. “Whether it is flour or sugar … it appears we are predestined to stand in lengthy queues. The government should come up with a uniform policy to address issues related to the supply chain … we are even willing to buy essentials at higher rates if the government can ensure their smooth supply,” they said.

Meanwhile, UC-102 Nazim Akbar Khan said he provided a list of 107 shops from his area to the district government. “There was nothing political to the list, but I was asked to make it shorter … I then cut the list down to 36 shops, but sugar was not supplied to even those shops,” he said, adding that those aligned with the PML-N were being favoured.

UC-96 Nazim Tahir Altaf said his union council had a population of around 420,000 people, but sugar was not available at a single shop in his area. He claimed that some quarters – after buying sugar at government rates – were “supplying the essential to someone else at higher rates”. He said issues related to the supply chain must not be politicised.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\11\17\story_17-11-2009_pg13_2