Profiteers continue to rule the roost

Rawalpindi : The local management has literally failed to implement its own rates as profiteers and hoarders in complete disregard of the DC rates are looting the public with both hands here in the open market and weekly bazaars on Sunday.

Despite the registration of FIRs and imposition of fines by the authorities, profiteers and hoarders have not stopped looting the public and as per routine are charging exorbitant prices. According to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Office, concerned price magistrates have registered 40 to 45 FIRs and imposed fines of Rs500,000 to Rs600,000 in a month against looters. Despite it, local management has failed to implement DC rates.

In fact, there are no regular price magistrates here in Rawalpindi. The Deputy Commissioner (DC) has given an additional charge of price magistrate to tehsildars, assistant commissioners, sub-registrars, naib tehsildars and town officers. The officers concerned are unable to do justice to their additional charges. They give preference to their regular duty over an additional charge.

People belonging to different walks of life have appealed Punjab government to appoint regular price magistrates to control ever-increasing inflation. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has fixed the rate of one kilogram of LPG at Rs204 and directed local management to implement this rate at any cost but LPG sellers are selling the commodity in ‘black’ at Rs300. The onion is available in the market at Rs220 per kilogram, tomatoes at Rs200, potatoes at Rs80, ginger at Rs300, and garlic at Rs300.

The criteria are that profiteers and hoarders are selling items at skyrocketing prices and after four to six months of district administration, Rawalpindi fixes the rates through proper notification. The district administration increased the rates of mutton by Rs500 from Rs800 to Rs1300 and beef by Rs250 from Rs450 to Rs700. The butchers are selling one-kilogram of mutton at Rs1300 when Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi fixed the rate at Rs850. Now, the deputy commissioner has fixed the official rate of mutton at Rs1300 but butchers are selling it at Rs1800 and the rate of beef is fixed at Rs700 and butchers are selling it at Rs850 to Rs900. The question is that why the district administration failed to control the price hikes.

On the other hand, the profiteers and hoarders have hoarded all kinds of cheaper prices of ghee and cooking oil from markets. They are only selling branded ghee and cooking oil which was selling at skyrocketing prices of Rs570 to Rs600. They have hoarded all kinds of lower quality ghee and cooking oil whose original price is Rs300 but profiteers and hoarders were selling it in ‘black’ at Rs400 to Rs450 per kilogram.

In fact, quality does not matter to the public now they wanted to purchase only cheaper prices items but profiteers and hoarders are looting them with both hands. The most important items ‘atta’ was also selling in ‘black’ and a 20-kilogram bag was selling at Rs1800 to Rs2200 here in the open market. The kerosene oil is selling at skyrocketing prices and one litre of oil is selling at Rs400.

The Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi Shoib Ali as per routine gives policy statements to resolve all public-related issues on a priority basis. The price magistrates were continuously visiting markets to monitor profiteers and hoarders. “We are registering FIRs and imposing fines against looters on regular basis,” he claimed. But, the question is that what is the benefit of these FIRs and fines because profiteers and hoarders as per routine are looting the public with both hands and becoming millionaires while the poor man is going down and down.