Rawalpindi: The local administration, Rawalpindi has completely failed to control ‘man-made’ inflation in the open market because profiteers and hoarders are looting the public with both hands. The profiteers and hoarders with the full backing of corrupt government officers have started looting the public before Ramazan and selling all eatable items at exorbitant prices.
Unfortunately, the price control mechanism has flopped here in Rawalpindi for a long time because bosses were only paying attention to paperwork rather than controlling price hikes practically, people belonging to different walks of life told ‘The News’ here on Thursday.
The profiteers and hoarders have hoarded all fruits like apples, bananas, dates, melons, oranges, and strawberries in cold storages to loot the public in Ramazan. The profiteers and hoarders were already selling all eatables at skyrocketing rates. The rates of all vegetables have increased too during the past two days. The cabbage was being sold at Rs80 per kilogram two days back but now it was available at Rs120 here on Thursday.
The potatoes were being sold at Rs40 per kilogram some two days back but it is now being sold at Rs50 per kilogram, the onion was being sold at Rs200 some two days back but now it is being sold at Rs260 per kilogram. The tomato was being sold at Rs120 some two days back but now it is being sold at Rs160, ginger was being sold at Rs450 some two days back but now it is being sold at Rs600 and garlic was being sold at Rs500 per kilogram but now it is being sold at Rs600 per kilogram. The milkmen have also increased their rates while butchers are already looting the public by selling 1-kilogram mutton at Rs2000 and beef at Rs1100. They have also increased their rates and now selling 1-kilogram mutton at Rs2200 and beef at Rs1200.
The chicken sellers were already looting the public with both hands and selling 1 kilogram of chicken meat at Rs700 but now prices of chicken meat have touched Rs800 for two days.
Already it was a big dream to purchase fruits due to its skyrocketing prices. One dozen oranges were being sold at Rs150 some two days back but now it is being sold at Rs200, whereas the prices of bananas which will be an important fruit in Ramazan have started to jump already. Now, one dozen bananas are being sold at Rs 200 to Rs 250. Dates are being sold at different prices from Rs500 to Rs800 per kilogram.
No doubt, the local administration as per routine after issuing the official price list warned profiteers and hoarders to obey this price list at any cost otherwise strict action would be taken against them. However, profiteers and hoarders right away rejected the official price list of the district administration and continued looting the public as per routine. The district administration has increased the prices of all necessary items but profiteers and hoarders are not obeying the official price list of the Deputy Commissioner and selling all necessary items at skyrocketing prices in retail shops.
The retail shopkeepers said that the local administration issues official price lists without any sense only to show their performance in papers. It seems that the local administration, Rawalpindi is completely unaware of the prices of daily consumable items like sugar, meat, pulses, chicken, rice, milk, atta, and roti sold in the open market.