Rates of 20 different items including ‘roti’ and ‘naan’ reduced

Rawalpindi
Finally, the city district government, Rawalpindi, wake up from deep slumber, as District Coordination Officer (Rawalpindi) Sajid Zafar Daal has reduced rates of 20 daily use commodities here on Tuesday.
According to notification issued by DCO, under Section 3 of ‘The Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 1977’ No 358 The price of 120 gram ‘roti’ has been fixed at Rs5 against Rs7 and ‘naan’ at Rs7 against Rs8. Similarly, a 20-kilogram bag of ‘atta’ has been fixed at Rs760, the price of ghee has been reduced by Rs2, whereas price of rice basmati (new) has been fixed at Rs84 per kilogram, rice basmati (second class) at Rs62 per kilogram, rice basmati (old) at Rs120 per kilogram, rice ‘irri’ at Rs37 per kilogram, ‘gram daal’ (‘moti’) at Rs64 per kilogram, gram ‘daal’ (bareek) at Rs53 per kilogram, ‘masoor daal’ (‘bareek’) at Rs125 per kilogram, ‘masoor daal’ (‘moti’) 110 per kilogram, ‘mash daal’ (washed) at Rs134 per kilogram, ‘mash daal’ (‘barma’) at Rs112 per kilogram, ‘moong daal’ at Rs138 per kilogram, mutton at Rs480 per kilogram, beef at Rs260 per kilogram, sugar at Rs54 per kilogram, milk loose at Rs70 per litre and yogurt at Rs80 per kilogram.
It merits mentioning here that the notification was issued by the DCO, after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited different markets of federal capital to review the impact of reduction in fuel prices on prices of daily use commodities couple of days ago. According to District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajid zafar Daal, the order shall come into force immediately. “No person or shopkeepers shall charge the prices of the aforementioned items offered for sale, in excess of the rates fixed so far. Strict action would be taken against violators.”
The customers, especially those having low income, are perturbed over the ever-increasing prices of items of daily use because shopkeepers charge at will with no hindrance or check from the price magistrates even after lowering down petrol rates by Rs43 per liter in five months.
In fact, the City District Government, Rawalpindi is only relying on paper work rather than checking violation of prices in the city markets. Price magistrates, according to the customers, have already developed an understanding with the shopkeepers.
The District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajid Zafar Daal in December 2014 has also issued a notification to lowering down prices of different items including meat, milk, yogurt, ‘roti’ and several other items. But, it was only paper work and shopkeepers as per routine looted public with both hands.
Rawalpindi Naanbhais Welfare Association (RNWA) President Shafiq Qureshi said that nobody could sell 120 gram ‘roti’ for Rs5 because the government has increased the gas tariff. “If the local management is not taking back the new notification of ‘roti’ and ‘naan’ price then we would shut down all ‘tandoors’ in the city,” he warned. He said that government totally failed to provide us gas and we are using LPG cylinders.
While talking to ‘The News’ people said that the City District Government is only doing paper work rather than checking prices. There is an underhand deal between the shopkeepers and price magistrates, they alleged.
Asma Saeed, a housewife said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has set a good example by visiting different markets in Islamabad. The local management should feel ashamed and arrest profiteers and hoarders for looting public with both hand, she said.
Muhammad Mukhtar Abbasi, a local said that there are seven retail shops in his mohalla and they have their own rates. Some are selling sugar for Rs56 while others for Rs58 and Rs55 per kilogram, he said. He said that we don’t need paper work we need practical work to provide maximum relief to public.