Profiteers, hoarders rule the roost ahead of Ramazan

Rawalpindi

Just a day ahead of the holy month of Ramazan, profiteers and hoarders have started looting people with both hands as some fruits and vegetables are being sold at double and triple prices, but the authorities concerned seems to be helpless before the profiteers. 

1-kilogram lemon is being sold at Rs300 against Rs120, apple is being sold Rs200-250 against Rs120-150, banana is being sold Rs200 against Rs150, red chilli is being sold Rs120 against Rs40 while a small bundle of coriander is being sold at Rs40 against Rs10 in fruit and vegetable markets on Monday just a day ahead of the start of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak. 

On the other hand, city district government, Rawalpindi has completed its paper work by issuing notification to cut down prices of some items particularly apple, yogurt, milk, meat and ‘roti’. 

According to notification, a ‘roti’ should be sold at Rs5, a naan at Rs7, 1-liter milk at Rs70, yogurt at Rs80, beef at Rs280 and mutton at Rs650. However, the city district government has been unable to ensure this rate is implemented in letter and spirit. 

While talking to ‘The News’ District Coordination Officer (Rawalpindi) Talat Gondal claimed to control inflation in the holy month of Ramazan and will arrest looters. He also said that DCO would take action against hoarders as well. “Price control magistrates are continuously monitoring looters,” he added. 

Rawalpindi-Islamabad Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Dealer Association representatives named Muhammad Akbar Khan, Shah Zaman, Nasir Hussain, Munir Ahmed Butt, Shaikh Muhammad Aslam and several others have said that prices shoot up due to demand and supply fluctuation. Majority of families do not use lemons throughout the year, however they use is during the holy month of Ramazan, they added. 

It is worth mentioning here that city district government has established only 8 ‘Ramazan Bazaars’ in different localities of city and cantonment board where according to DCO all items are selling on cheaper rates. Only 5 to 10 per cent consumer could approach ‘Ramazan Bazaars’ while other 90 per cent consumers go to open market shops to buy daily used items.

Talking to ‘The News’ people belonging to different walks of life strongly condemned lose management of city district government, Rawalpindi therefore ever year in the holy month of Ramazan traders loot public with both hands. There is no planning, no policy and no effort by the authorities concerned, they denounced. 

Muhammad Afzal, a senior citizen said: “I am surprised about increase in prices of each and every thing in the holy month of Ramazan. When I was settled in England, British government provided big relief of Muslims to cut down more than 50 per cent rates especially on food items in the holy month of Ramazan and the case remains the same now as well.”  Nobody could violate rules but here profiteers and hoarders openly loot public in the holy month while government takes this matter non-seriously, he added.

Sidra Mumtaz, a housewife said that she was shocked to hear that lemon was being sold at Rs320 per kilogram while some days back, she bought it at Rs100. “I was also shocked to hear about the rates of fruit which is skyrocketing,” she bemoaned. She appealed to the government to monitor looters as they are openly selling each and everything on skyrocketing prices and earning more than 100 per cent profit,” she added.