Overcharging on perishable items persists

LAHORE:The government failed to implement official rates on first Ramazan as sellers openly overcharged buyers for their commodities across the provincial metropolis while the writ the government wasn’t found anywhere in the markets.

Overcharging was witnessed for fruits, vegetables and meat. Chicken meat prices were not being issued as the market committee has been repeating the two-week prices on the official rate lists while in the markets it was sold much higher than the rate lists. The chicken rates issued on February 17 still existed on the rates lists. This exposed the government writ and seriousness to fix rates and protect the public from the mafia.

The rates of the chicken in official rate lists were fixed at Rs397-411 per kg, which is sold at Rs480-500 per kg, and chicken meat fixed at Rs595 per kg, and sold Rs650-670 and chicken boneless at Rs1000-1100 per kg on Sunday.

Furthermore, the overcharging was also witnessed in the model bazaars while fruits were not available in the majority of Sahulat stalls after midday while the quality of the available items were also lower. At Sahulat stalls, banana rates were fixed at Rs200 per dozen where the lowest quality was being sold while in model bazaars it was sold at Rs300-350 per dozen against the DC rates of Rs255-270 per dozen.

Chairman Punjab Model Bazaar Management Company (PMBMC) Malik Afzal Khokhar claimed that affordable and quality items will continue to be provided without interruption, at prices lower than the regular market rates in the model bazaars. Factually, in the case of banana it was being sold higher than the market fixed rates exposed the Chairman claims.

This year, the Punjab government did not establish any special Ramzan bazaars while also failed to implement the official price lists, leaving the public at the mercy of the market forces to manipulate.

The price of potato soft skin A-grade was unchanged at Rs50-55 per kg, sold at Rs80-100 per kg, B-grade at Rs40-45 per kg and C-grade at Rs35-38 per kg, mixed sold at Rs50-70 per kg.

The price of onion A-grade was gained by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs75-80 per kg, sold at Rs120-130 per kg, B-grade at Rs65-70 per kg, and C-grade at Rs50-55 per kg, mixed sold at Rs80-100 per kg. The price of tomato A-grade gained by Rs10 per kg, fixed at Rs45-50 per kg, sold at Rs100-120 per kg, B-grade fixed at Rs35-40 per kg, and C-grade at Rs27-30 per kg, mixed sold at Rs60-80 per kg.

The price of garlic local further gained by Rs20 per kg, fixed at Rs580-600 per kg, sold at Rs800 per kg, Garlic GI variety by Rs15 per kg, fixed at Rs355-370 per kg, sold at Rs420-480 per kg and Garlic China by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs600-620 per kg, sold at Rs800-1000 per kg.

The price of both Ginger Thai and Chinese reduced by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs355-370 per kg, both sold at Rs450-600 per kg.

Cucumber Farm further reduced by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs38-40 per kg, sold at Rs80-120 per kg.

Brinjal price was declined by Rs15 per kg, fixed at Rs62-65 per kg, sold at Rs100-120 per kg.

Biter gourd further gained by Rs20 per kg, fixed at Rs181-190 per kg, sold at Rs280-300 per kg.

The price Spinach unchanged at Rs18-20 at Rs40-60 per kg.

Zucchini farm unchanged at 28-30 per kg, sold at Rs80-100 per kg, and Zucchini long at Rs23-25 per kg, sold at Rs80-100 per kg.

The lemon Chinese gained by Rs10 per kg, fixed at Rs100-105 per kg, sold at Rs150-250 per kg.

Green chili reduced by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs105-110 per kg, sold at Rs180-200 per kg.

Capsicum price was further gained by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs66-70 per kg, sold at Rs140-160 per kg.

Price of cauliflower unchanged at Rs23-25 per kg, sold at Rs50-80 per kg, cabbage at Rs28-30 per kg, sold Rs60-80 per kg.

Carrot Chinese unchanged at Rs47-50 per kg, sold at Rs300 per kg, carrot local reduced by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs23-25 per kg, sold at Rs40-80 per kg.

Turnip was unchanged at Rs28-30 per kg, sold at Rs60-80 per kg.

Fenugreek (Methi) reduced by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs35-40 per kg, sold at Rs80-100 per kg.

Pea price was declined by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs47-50 per kg, sold at Rs80-100 per kg.

Beetroot was sold at Rs200-250 per kg.

Coriander was sold at Rs30 per bundle.

Radish was gained by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs23-25 per kg, sold at Rs40-60 per kg.

Saag was fixed at Rs28-30 per kg, sold at Rs60-80 per kg.

Mongray was declined by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs66-70 per kg, sold at Rs140-160 per kg.

Pumpkin was reduced by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs66-70 per kg, sold at Rs200 per kg.

Sweet pumpkin was unchanged at Rs28-30 per kg, sold at Rs60-80 per kg.

Lady finger was fixed at Rs152-160 per kg, sold at Rs300 per kg.

The price of different variety of apples further gained by Rs10 per kg, fixed at Rs170-330 per kg, sold at Rs250-600 per kg.

The price of Banana A-category further gained by Rs5 per dozen, at Rs255-270 per dozen, sold at Rs350-400 per dozen, and B-category by Rs10 per dozen, fixed at Rs180-190 dozen, sold at Rs200-280 per dozen.

Guava was unchanged at Rs160-220 per kg, sold at Rs250-300 per kg.

Kinow was further gained by Rs5 per dozen, fixed Rs175-425 per dozen, sold at Rs400-700 per dozen.

Pomegranate danaydar further gained by Rs10 per kg, fixed at Rs420-440 per kg, sold at 600-800 per kg, pomegranate kandahari fixed at Rs325-460 per kg, sold at Rs600-700 per kg, pomegranate Bedana further gained by Rs15 per kg, fixed at Rs735-765 per kg, sold at Rs1000-1200 per kg.

Dates were further gained by Rs20 per kg, fixed at Rs425-495 per kg, sold at Rs750 to 2000 per kg.

Papaya reduced by Rs60 per kg, fixed at Rs240-250 per kg, sold at Rs300-350 per kg.

Grapes tofi gained by Rs25 per kg, fixed at Rs295-305 per kg, sold at Rs600-800 per kg, grapes white was fixed at Rs280-290, sold at Rs500-600 per kg.

Musami was further gained by Rs10 per dozen, fixed at Rs145-185 per dozen, sold at Rs250- 300 per dozen.

Grapefruit was fixed at Rs32-35 per piece, sold at Rs40-50 per piece.

Corn was gained by Rs15 per kg, fixed at Rs52-55 per kg, sold at Rs60-80 per kg.

Sweet potato further gained by Rs10 per kg, fixed at Rs105-110 per kg, sold at Rs180-200 per kg.

Strawberry was reduced by Rs95 per kg, fixed at Rs195-325 per kg, sold at Rs400-500 per kg.

Melon was reduced by Rs20 per kg, fixed at Rs80-140 per kg, sold at Rs150-250 per kg.