Staff Reporter :
Beef traders can sale meat at Tk 300 per kg if the excessive toll collection on cows is prevented in highways and in Dhaka city, the leaders of meat traders said.
The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) on Monday fixed the prices of beef at Tk 525 and buffalo at Tk 480 for the holy Ramzan, which are Tk 75 and Tk 60 higher respectively than the last year’s prices.
The DSCC authorities fixed the prices of mutton at Tk 750 and that of lamb at Tk 650, which were Tk 720 and Tk 600 respectively last year.
DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon disclosed the decision after a meeting with meat traders at Nagar Bhaban in the city on the day. The mayor said the newly-fixed prices would remain in effect until 27th of Ramzan.
However, the meat was selling at Tk 25 to 50 higher price per kg that was fixed by the DSCC authorities jus a day before.
Replying to a question regarding the price, Rabiul Alam, Secretary of Dhaka City Meat Traders’ Association told The New Nation that the traders can sale beef at Tk 300 per kg, if the excessive toll collection violating government’s fixed toll rate, is prevented totally. There is a business of taka hundreds of crore where many influential groups are involved behind the illegal toll collection, which pushed the traders to sale beef at over price, he said. Replying to another query, Rabiul said the illegal toll collectors are directly involved in politics but they blessed by political leaders.
“The city corporation and other government authorities can prevent the illegal toll collection if they wish but none came forward to stop such illegal toll business in last three years,” he said.
Citing the scenery of toll collection, Rabiul said that a trader has to pay for per cow around Tk 15000 to Tk 18000 as toll in three places (hats) in the areas of Dhaka city, which pushed the traders to increase the meat price.
As per the rule of leasing of the cattle market the leasers can collect toll Tk 100 per cow, but they did not follow the rule at all, and the government monitoring authorities remained silent in this regard, the traders alleged.
