Administration fails to check fleecing as new price list issued

Rawalpindi: The Deputy Commissioner, Rawalpindi Hasan Waqar Cheema has claimed that daily consumable items were selling at cheaper rates in Rawalpindi than in Islamabad. The deputy commissioner, Rawalpindi has issued a fresh notification of prices of daily consumable items but local administration has failed to implement its own issued price list.

The Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi issued a Notification No(PWM/RWP/G-42) and fixed the rate of rice at Rs300 but rice in open market shops was selling at Rs420. The deputy commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi was reluctant to answer the questions of ‘The News’ as to why the district administration has failed to control ‘Man Made’ artificial inflation and hoarding all around.

The deputy commissioner during a media talk in his office on Wednesday claimed that consumable items were selling at cheaper rates than in Islamabad. He said that they were fully trying to control inflation from open market shops.

It seems that the local administration, Rawalpindi was unaware of the prices of daily consumable items like sugar, meat, pulses, rice, milk, ‘atta’, ‘roti’, vegetables, and fruits sold in the open market.

Price Control Committee (Consumer) Member Syed Faisal Kazmi claimed that the reputation of the local administration, in Rawalpindi was not good. The Punjab government has serious concerns about the bad performance of the local administration in Rawalpindi. Rawalpindi has become the most expensive city across the province due to its bad governance, he claimed. He also said that the chief secretary Punjab was not happy with the performance of Rawalpindi.

There is a big price difference between government and open market rates but local administration has once again only completed paperwork by issuing an official price list in which the Deputy Commissioner (DC) has fixed the price of White Chana at Rs325 but one kilogram White Chana was selling at Rs400 to Rs425 in open market. Surprisingly, the local administration did not fix the prices of ‘atta’ ‘ghee’, sugar, and red chili and mentioned in the notification that ‘atta’ prices were related as per notification of the food department while ‘ghee’ will sell as per printed prices.

While a 20-kilogram ‘atta’ bag is being sold at different prices between Rs2800 to Rs3050 and 1-kilogram ‘ghee’ is selling at Rs490 to Rs510.

The local management has fixed the rate of 1-kilogram basin at Rs245 but shopkeepers are selling the commodity at different rates between Rs300 to Rs320. According to the notification Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi has fixed the rate of mutton at Rs1600 and beef at Rs800 per kilogram, whereas one kilogram of mutton is being sold at Rs2000 and Rs2200, while beef at Rs1100 to Rs1300.

The local administration fixed basmati rice at Rs300 while it is being sold from Rs400 to420 per kilogram, ‘daal channa’ is being sold at Rs260 instead of Rs245, ‘daal mong’ fixed price is Rs290 but it is being sold at Rs330 per kilogram, ‘daal masoor’ rate is Rs310 but it is being sold at Rs350. The local administration has fixed the price of ‘daal mash’ at Rs490 but it is being sold at Rs600. Similarly, the local administration has fixed the rate of milk at Rs170 but milkmen are selling it at Rs200 to Rs220 per litre. The concerned authority has ordered milkmen to sell yogurt at Rs200 per kg but it is being sold at Rs220.

Now, chicken sellers were also violating the fixed rates of local management and selling chicken meat at exorbitant prices. Similarly, local administration has fixed the prices of potatoes from Rs28 to Rs55 but it was sold at Rs80 per kilogram. The DC has fixed the rate of onion from Rs120 to Rs250 but in reality, 1-kilogtram onion was selling at Rs300 to Rs400 in open market shops. The DC has fixed the rate of tomato from Rs100 to Rs125 but the commodity was selling at Rs180 to Rs200. The garlic price has been fixed between Rs400 to Rs600 but it was selling at Rs720 to Rs800. The ginger price has been fixed between Rs240 to Rs520 but the commodity was being sold at Rs600 to Rs700.

The DC, Pindi not fix the rate of Lemon but 1 kilogram of lemon was selling at Rs600. The DC has fixed the rate of green chilies at Rs200 to Rs300 but it is selling at Rs500 in all sabzi mandis. All vegetables were not selling according to the issued price list. The Deputy Commissioner has fixed the price of apple from Rs120 to Rs330 but it was selling at Rs250 to Rs600, the rate of dates has been fixed from Rs470 to Rs485 but the commodity was selling between Rs600 to Rs900 per kilogram. The DC has fixed the rate of pomegranate from Rs240 to Rs330 but it was being sold at Rs500.

The DC has fixed the rate of ‘Banana’ from Rs140 to Rs190 but this fruit was selling from Rs300 to Rs400 per dozen. The figures show the non-serious attitude of the local administration as its officials are only doing paperwork and dealing with pubic-related issues casually. On paper, the local management is showing that all kitchen items are available at low prices but the story is quite different in the open market.