Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah taking serious note of sky-rocketing prices of tomato, onion and others vegetables has directed agriculture department to intervene into market by reducing the role of middlemen and control the prices.

In a statement issued from CM House says that the chief minister has said that the price of tomato has reached to Rs250 per kg. It is beyond the approach of poor people. “I feel it is an artificial price hike created by hoarders,” he said.

The chief minister directed Minister for Agriculture & Home Sohail Anwar Siyal to personally inquire into the matter and intervene in the vegetable market where middlemen have played havoc with the prices and are minting money.

He said that Thatta and Sujawal districts produce early tomato crops, therefore necessary arrangements be made to bring tomato of Thatta and Sujawal to the market of Karachi. “It seems as if the middlemen have also purchased the Tomato crop in Thatta and Sujawal districts but this must be stopped, he said.

The chief minister also urged the agriculture department to take necessary measures to regulate the price of others vegetables which are the only source of food for the poor people. The commissioners, deputy commissioners and market committees must play their roles to control artificial price hike, he issued the directives.

He ordered the arrest of hoarders and those who have created artificial price hike of tomatoes and vegetables.