City district govt fails to check rising prices of kitchen items

Rawalpindi

The prices of most of the kitchen items have jumped up thanks to the apathy of the city district government, as it has failed to keep a check on skyrocketing prices of daily commodities. 

Vegetables, ghee, sugar, meat and all kinds of pulses have become out of reach and unaffordable items for a common man as wholesale dealers once again increased Rs15 to Rs20 on 1-kilogram pulses while Rs6 per kilogram on sugar in this regard.

Similarly, buying vegetable and meat has become a dream for poor as pulses and vegetables are being sold on skyrocketing rates but local management seeing the whole drama with closed eyes.

All Pakistan Sugar Wholesale Dealer Association President Haji Fazal Hussain told ‘The News’ that sugar was selling on higher prices. He said that price of sugar sack has increased to Rs3,430 against Rs3,150. “One kilogram sugar is selling at Rs75 against Rs69 in retail,” he said.

‘The News’ conducted a market survey that rates of all kinds of pulses have once again increased by Rs15 to Rs20 and ‘Daal Chana’ is selling at Rs160 against Rs140, ‘Daal Moong’ at Rs160 against Rs135, ‘Daal Mash’ at Rs260 against Rs240, Black ‘Masar’ at Rs160 against Rs140, Red ‘Lobia’ at Rs140 against Rs125, Black ‘Channay’ at Rs160 against Rs140 and White ‘Channay’ at Rs200 against Rs185.

The retail shopkeepers have also increased rice prices by Rs20 per kilogram and selling it at Rs140 against Rs120.

Rawalpindi-Islamabad Pulses and Rice Wholesale Dealer representatives named Haji Nasir Hussain, Shaikh Talib, Muhammad Feeroz, Shaikh Qaiser and several others said that pulses and rice prices increased because of monsoon season. We are facing shortage of commodity therefore we are facing higher rates of pulses and sugar, they said.

On the other hand butchers are selling 1-kilogram mutton at Rs720-750 and beef at Rs450-480.

Public alleged that price control committee and price control magistrates don’t visit markets which has allowed traders to loot the public with both hands.

This claim was however denied by Special Price Magistrate Malik Safdar who said that they were continuously visiting markets to control inflation. He also claimed that they were not only visiting markets but also registering FIRs against profiteers. 

It is worth mentioning here that some two months back, ‘Daal Mash’ was selling at Rs190 per kilogram, ‘Daal Channa’ at Rs120, ‘Daal Moong’ was at Rs120, ‘Daal Masoor’ at Rs90, ‘Lal Lobia’ at Rs105 and Black ‘Channay’ at Rs100.